Public Concerts and Events
Free Public Concert Series
LMC’s most visible face is its Public Concert Series that offers over 50 free classical music concerts from October through May by LMC member-musicians and guests. The classical music series is presented at a variety of venues throughout the Seattle metro area, including Seattle Art Museum, Frye Art Museum, Seattle Public Library, Central and West Seattle Branches, University House Wallingford, Mirabella, Bellevue’s Crossroads Community Center Theater, Congregational Church on Mercer Island, and the Music Center of the Northwest in North Seattle.
These intimate, one-half-hour to one-hour, music programs are free and open to the public. Many of these are now available online through our Facebook page and YouTube channel. No advance tickets are required. On the day of the performance at the Frye Museum, attendees are asked to obtain a free ticket at the front desk to monitor auditorium seating.
Supported by generous funding from:
Event Calendar
150th Anniversary of Rachmaninov’s Birth
From Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3
Elégie
Prélude
Valentina Rodov, piano
From 12 Romances, Op.14
1. I Wait for Thee
8. O, Do Not Grieve
11. Spring Waters
Dora Barnes, soprano and Luke Raffanti, piano
From Preludes, Op. 32
5. Moderato
10. Lento
Luke Raffanti, piano
Cello Sonata, Op. 19
2. Allegro scherzando
3. Andante espressivo
Jonas Chen (guest artist), cello and Luke Raffanti, piano
From 12 Romances, Op. 21
5. Siren (Lilacs)
6. Loneliness
Vocalise, Op.34, No.14
Dora Barnes, soprano and Luke Raffanti, piano
Artist bios
Program PDF – TBA
Songs by French and Russian Composers
La mésange by Pauline Viardot (1821–1910)
Le papillon et la fleur by Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Désespoir by Pauline Viardot
Havanaise by Pauline Viardot
V’molchani nochi by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Serenade “O Ditya” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Ne poy krasavitsa pri mne by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Susan Strick, soprano
Sandra Heinke, piano
Piano Solos by Liszt & Schumann
Concert Etudes, S. 144, No. 3 “Un Sospiro” by Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17, 1st movement by Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Emiko Hori, piano
Artist Bios
Program – TBA
This concert will be recorded at University House Wallingford on April 10, 2023. You can watch the concert on YouTube here when it’s available.
150th Anniversary of Rachmaninov’s Birth
From Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3
Elégie
Prélude
Valentina Rodov, piano
From 12 Romances, Op.14
1. I Wait for Thee
8. O, Do Not Grieve
11. Spring Waters
Dora Barnes, soprano and Luke Raffanti, piano
From Preludes, Op. 32
5. Moderato
10. Lento
Luke Raffanti, piano
Cello Sonata, Op. 19
2. Allegro scherzando
3. Andante espressivo
Jonas Chen (guest artist), cello and Luke Raffanti, piano
From 12 Romances, Op. 21
5. Siren (Lilacs)
6. Loneliness
Vocalise, Op.34, No.14
Dora Barnes, soprano and Luke Raffanti, piano
Artist bios
Program PDF – TBA
Works for Cello and Piano
Ave Maria by Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Priere, Op. 158 by Camille Saint-Saens (1835–1921)
Sicilienne by Gabriel Faure (1845–1924)
Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943), arr. by Takuya Shigeta
Humoresque by Antonin Dvorak (1841–1904)
Harmonies Du Soir by Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880)
Sonata in E minor, Op. 38, Allegro non troppo by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Expression by Helen June Long
Salut d’amour, Op. 12 by Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
Melet Whinston, cello
Michael Housley, piano
Artist bios
Program PDF – TBA
Exploring Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor and ballade no.2 in f major
The music of Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) has captured the hearts, ears, and emotions of music lovers across generations and geographies. Though many of his works are familiar to broad audiences, Chopin’s mastery and volume of music present even the most avid Chopin enthusiast with beautifully-bottomless intrigue. In part II of our Chopin Sunday Salon Series, Dr. Larry Starr, UW Professor Emeritus of Music History, explores Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor and Ballade No. 2 in F Major. LMC pianist Diana Gao will play illustrative musical highlights throughout the talk, followed by a full performance of these two celebrated pieces and a Q&A with both Larry and Diana.
Purchase Tickets
Tickets and more event details are found HERE. Tickets are $10 for LMC Members and $30 for Non-Members.
About the Presenters
Larry Starr holds the title Professor Emeritus of American Music Studies at the University of Washington School of Music, where he taught for more than four decades. He retired from university teaching in 2018, but he continues to speak on music at the Seattle Symphony (pre-concert talks), the Women’s University Club (Seattle), and now the Ladies’ Musical Club. He has written books on Charles Ives’s music, Aaron Copland’s songs, George Gershwin’s Broadway musicals, and most recently Listening to Bob Dylan, and is the coauthor of a textbook on American popular music. Larry’s advisees have gone on to distinguished careers in teaching, research, and arts administration—a noteworthy recent example being Whitney Henderson, LMC’s own Executive Director.
Diana Gao began studying the piano at age 4. She received a bachelor’s degree in International Broadcasting Journalism and a Graduate Diploma in Finance and Investment from top universities in China. Then she moved to the US in 2013 and earned her MBA degree at the University of Washington (UW). She’s now a Senior Marketing Manager at Microsoft. Although she has pursued a career outside of music, the piano has remained a
significant mainstay in her life. For years, she has consistently cultivated her passion through regular lessons and performances. She is currently studying with Dr. Robin McCabe from the UW, and she’s a prizewinner in many competitions, including Gold Medalist of the Seattle International Piano Competition, and First Prize in the “Golden Classical Music Awards” International Competition, which earned her a solo performance at the Carnegie Hall. She has also performed at the prestigious Piano Texas International Festival. Since 2020, she has presented annual fundraising recitals through the Microsoft Give campaign, raising thousands of dollars in support of local non-profit organizations. Those events reinforced her belief that music has the power to inspire change and make the world a better place.
Works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff & Chopin
Featuring:
Larry Chu, cello
Selina Chu, piano
Valentina Rodov, piano
Artist Bios
Program – TBA
Wind Trios and Other Songs
Featuring:
Julie Shankland, clarinet
Gail Perstein, oboe
Eric Shankland, bassoon
Lin Chen, soprano
Artist Bios
Program PDF – TBA
Spanish Songs and Romantic-Era Piano Works
Featuring:
Diane Althaus, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano
Minju Kim, piano
Artist Bios
Program PDF – TBA
Spanish Songs | Piano Works by Schubert & Chopin
Featuring:
Diane Althaus, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano
Valentina Rodov, piano
Artist bios
Program PDF – TBA
Piano Works by Mozart & Chopin | Laughter is the Best Medicine
Featuring:
Emiko Hori, piano
Tiina Ritalahti, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano
Artist bios
Program PDF