Community Calendar

Music at the Southfield Church closes its sixth season presenting mother daughter duo, Houry and Jacqueline Schmeizl, with a celebratory evening of four-hand piano, featuring works by Bach, Mozart, Grieg, Saint-Saens, Shostakovich, Khachaturian and Cold Play!

The concert will begin at 7:00 pm on Saturday, July 2nd, at the Southfield Church, 234 Norfolk Road in the Southfield Village of New Marlborough. For more information, a full season lineup, and updated Covid protocols, visit thesouthfieldchurch.org. Admission is free; a retiring collection will be taken at the door to support the artists. A reception on the lawn follows each concert (weather permitting).

Music at the Southfield Church is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council through a grant from the New Marlborough Cultural Council.

Houry Schmeizl has dedicated over 25 years to developing the artistic abilities of her students both young and old. Under her guidance, Ms. Schmeizl’s students have received multiple awards and honors including first place trophies and cash prizes at the Crescendo International Competition and Rising Talents, American Protege, (first place concerts held in Carnegie Hall, NYC), numerous top level trophies and awards at the Bay State Piano Competition (MA), the American Fine Arts Festival (NY), Steinway Piano Competition (MA), and Audrey Thayer Piano Competition (Hartford, CT), In addition, Ms. Schmeizl’s guidance has led to admission to the Juilliard School - Preparatory Division, and most recently to The Berkeley School of Music, CA and the Honors Music Program at Western CT State University.

While Ms. Schmeizl enjoys all opportunities to showcase classical music, her favorites are those that are collaborative artistic endeavors, including Ballet Accompaniment, Accompanying instrumental performances, and Four Hand Piano Music. She also enjoys performing and learning about ethnic and culturally diverse music from around the world including that of her own heritage, the music of Armenia.

Ms. Schmeizl is the owner of Piano Academy of New Marlborough and currently teaches twenty four students from CT, MA and as far as South Carolina. She is a member of the CT Music Teachers Association, and the American College of Musicians. Ms. Schmeizl has served on the executive board of the New England Piano Teachers' Association, and is a member of the Steinway Society. She enjoys leading master classes as well as judging yearly for the National Guild Auditions.

She is also the author of the Armenian Songbook, My Childhood Reflections, Mangootyan Hoosherus.
Ms. Schmeizl has lived in New Marlborough, MA for the past years with her husband Mark, and daughter Jacqueline.

Jacqueline Schmeizl, age 16, resides in New Marlborough, MA with her parents. She has been playing the piano since the age of five, having studied with her mother for ten years, and currently studies with Margreet Francis, chair of Piano at the Hartt School of Music. She has performed in Carnegie Hall seven times as a top tier prize winner for four different International Piano Competitions including American Protégé International Competition, The Crescendo International Music Competition, Music Fest-Rising Talents and The American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) Passion of Music. She also performed in Rome in 2017 as a top winner for the Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition.
She has performed in multiple master classes for concert pianists Irma Vallecillo Keller and Dr. Paul Rutman, Dr. Melvin Chen, Director of Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Malgosia Lis, Chair of the Suzuki Piano Division at Hartt, and award-winning composer and pianist Catherine Rollin.

Jackie is a freshman at Bard Early College at Simon’s Rock, and is concentrating in psychology. She hopes to achieve a PhD and become a clinical therapist. In her free time, she enjoys flamenco dancing, swimming, downhill skiing, rock climbing, spending time with her friends, and reading psychological case studies. She volunteers at public schools, children’s programs, and nature centers, and has been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for 2021.

Join us in welcoming world-renown guest artists to LMC's campus. This season, we will feature musicians of the New York City Ballet with Elizabeth Pitcairn and Glen Inanga.

On July 15th at 7 p.m. at Hudson Hall, Aston Magna presents the “All Handel” program, offering “Armida abbandonata” and “Gloria.” Performing are soprano Dominique Labelle, with Daniel Stepner and Julie Leven, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba, and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

On July 16th at 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, Aston Magna presents the “All Handel” program, offering “Armida abbandonata” and “Gloria.” Performing are soprano Dominique Labelle, with Daniel Stepner and Julie Leven, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba, and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

Berkshire Choral International makes a return appearance at Arthur Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College (815 N Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY,12866) on Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. Gary Thor Wedow conducts Handel’s oratorio “Judas Maccabaeus,” featuring rousing choruses, fiery solo arias, and ravishing duets. “Judas Maccabaeus” tells the story of the heroic Israelite, who led the Jewish rebellion against the Syrian Greeks in 160-167 BC and preserved the Jewish religion. The Albany Symphony Orchestra joins BCI for this performance. Tickets are $25 general admission ($10, age 18 and under) and may be purchased in advance at Eventbrite.com. On the day of the concert, tickets are also available at the Arthur Zankel Music Center Box Office starting at 5:30 p.m.

[Crescendo’s Period Instrument Ensemble performs works by French Baroque composers of the 18th century.]

This concert recreates the experience of what was considered to be one of the highest privileges: hearing a small ensemble of highly qualified musicians in an intimate setting, performing music from the golden era of Baroque chamber music in France. One of the favorite instruments of the Sun-King Louis XIV, the Baroque flute, or traverso, became the most popular wind instrument of the royal court in Paris, the cultural center of Europe. This program showcases some of the most sophisticated and graceful flute solo and ensemble works by François Couperin (his “Concert Royeaux II”), Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Michel de la Barre, Antoine Dornel, Robert De Visée, and Henry D’Anglebert.
Performers are Crescendo’s Period Instrument Ensemble - Rodrigo Tarraza, traverso, Christine Gevert, harpsichord, and Hideki Yamaya, theorbo, with guest performer Gina Allende, viola da gamba (Chile).

Date and location: Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 4:00 pm at the historic St. Paul’s Church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts (29 Main St, Stockbridge, MA 01262).
Tickets are $35 (general seating), $60 (premium seating), and $10 (youth).

All audience members, staff, and performers must show proof of being fully vaccinated, and must remain properly masked once inside the performance venue. These policies are subject to change. Access online ticket sales and the full Covid precaution policy in the most updated version on Crescendo’s website: crescendomusic.org.

This concert has been made possible in part with support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

On July 21st at 7 p.m. at the Slosberg Music Center, Aston Magna presents “Double Apotheosis: Francois Couperin’s Tributes to Corelli and Lully.” Performing are Daniel Stepner and Edson Scheid, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba; Catherine Liddell, theorbo; and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

On July 22nd at 7 p.m. at Hudson Hall, Aston Magna presents “Double Apotheosis: Francois Couperin’s Tributes to Corelli and Lully.” Performing are Daniel Stepner and Edson Scheid, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba; Catherine Liddell, theorbo; and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

On July 23rd at 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, Aston Magna presents “Double Apotheosis: Francois Couperin’s Tributes to Corelli and Lully.” Performing are Daniel Stepner and Edson Scheid, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba; Catherine Liddell, theorbo; and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

Join us in welcoming world-renown guest artists to LMC's campus. This season, we will feature Fabulous Philadelphians: Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra with LMC Founder and Steinway pianist Toby Blumenthal.