Southfield Church is delighted to present a special children’s concert on Saturday, June 21st, at 2:00 PM, featuring celebrated violist Eva Gerard and acclaimed pianist Manon Hutton-DeWys. This unique event, the first "Music at the Southfield Church" concert designed with young audiences in mind, promises to be an engaging and enriching experience for children, families, and music lovers of all ages.
The program has been thoughtfully curated to inspire curiosity and joy in young listeners while showcasing the mesmerizing sounds of the viola and piano. Highlights of the concert include:
• Movements from Johann Sebastian Bach’s exquisite First Cello Suite
• An enchanting arrangement of Camille Saint-Saëns’ beloved piece, The Swan
• Ludwig van Beethoven’s serene Nocturno
This is a concert for kids who wiggle, for families who appreciate creativity, and for anyone eager to explore the viola's rich, expressive voice and the piano’s elegance.
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the magic of classical music in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Join us on June 21st for an afternoon of musical discovery and delight!
The 9th Season of Music is proudly funded in part by the New Marlborough Cultural Council, the Mass Cultural Council, and the dedicated members of The Sostenuto Circle, whose commitment to fostering cultural vibrancy ensures this concert series continues to enrich the community.
Admission to this family-friendly concert is free, and attendees of all ages are welcome. A retiring collection will be taken to benefit the artists as a gesture of appreciation for their talent and dedication.
Following the concert, join us for vanilla ice cream on the lawn, weather permitting. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet the performers, connect with fellow attendees, and enjoy the serene surroundings of the church.
Meet the Artists:
Eva Gerard
A highly sought-after violist, Eva Gerard has played solo recitals in such celebrated venues as The Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts and Juilliard’s Paul Hall. As an orchestral and chamber musician, Ms. Gerard has performed in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall as principal violist of the Juilliard Orchestra, BAM Café, Merkin Hall, MoMA’s Summergarden, Le Poisson Rouge, and Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre with Midori and Friends. She has also participated in such festivals as The Schleswig Holstein Orchestral Academy, Aspen Music Festival, The New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Juilliard’s Chamberfest. Ms. Gerard is on the faculty of The School for Strings and The Hudson River School of Music. She has studied with Junah Chung, Samuel Rhodes, and Masao Kawasaki. Chamber music coaches include such renowned musicians as Baruch Arnon, Peter Basquin, Nicholas Mann, and Michael Tree.
Eva completed her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at The Juilliard School and her doctoral studies at the CUNY Graduate Center where she studied with Karen Ritscher and Junah Chung.
Manon Hutton-DeWys
American pianist Manon Hutton-DeWys has long been earning praise and recognition for her performances of classical and modern music. In Musical America, Christian Carey wrote: “Hutton-DeWys did an admirable job creating legato lyricism in a solo line that resides amidst a tremendously active accompaniment. Her sensitive dynamic shadings and subtle use of rubato demonstrated an artist possessing a great deal of promise." Dr. Hutton-DeWys has performed in some of classical music's best-known venues, including Weill and Zankel Halls at Carnegie Hall, and the Salle Cortot at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. She has also appeared at Symphony Space, Bargemusic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Steinway Hall, the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, Northeastern and Tufts Universities, and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, home to radio station WNYC.
Dr. Hutton-DeWys holds degrees from the City University of New York Graduate Center, Mannes College of Music, Bard College, and Bard College at Simon's Rock. Her research, for which she received a 2017 Elebash Research Grant, focuses on early twentieth-century American music. A native of New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley, Hutton-DeWys is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Professor of Applied Piano at Bard College at Simon's Rock and the Bard Academy. She formerly served on the faculty of the Bard College Conservatory Preparatory Division, Lehman College, and Greenwich House Music School, and on the Executive Board of the Piano Teachers' Congress of New York.
