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:


Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Logo

Event Calendar

Apr
10
Mon
[In Person] 150th Anniversary of Rachmaninov’s Birth @ University House Wallingford
Apr 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

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

 

Apr
12
Wed
[In Person] Songs by French & Russian Composers | Piano Solos by Liszt & Schumann @ Seattle Public Library - Central Library
Apr 12 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

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

 

Apr
13
Thu
[Virtual] 150th Anniversary of Rachmaninov’s Birth @ University House Wallingford
Apr 13 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

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

 

Apr
15
Sat
[In Person] Works for Cello and Piano @ Mirabella Seattle
Apr 15 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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

 

May
7
Sun
Sunday Salon Mini-Series, Part II: Exploring Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor and Ballade No. 2 in F Major @ Congregational Church on Mercer Island
May 7 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

 Exploring Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor and ballade no.2 in f major

Portrait of Chopin

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

Dr. Larry Starr
Photo: Steve Korn / UW School of Music

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 aDiana Gao 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.

 

 

 

May
10
Wed
[In Person] Works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Chopin @ Seattle Public Library - Central Library
May 10 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff & Chopin

Featuring:

Larry Chu, cello
Selina Chu, piano
Valentina Rodov, piano

Artist Bios
Program – TBA

 

 

 

May
14
Sun
[In Person] Wind Trios and Other Songs @ West Seattle Library
May 14 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wind Trios and Other Songs

Featuring:

Julie Shankland, clarinet
Gail Perstein, oboe
Eric Shankland, bassoon
Lin Chen, soprano

Artist Bios
Program PDF – TBA

 

May
16
Tue
[In Person] Spanish Songs and Romantic-Era Piano Works @ Crossroads Community Center
May 16 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Spanish Songs and Romantic-Era Piano Works

Featuring:

Diane Althaus, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano
Minju Kim, piano

Artist Bios
Program PDF – TBA

 

May
20
Sat
[In Person] Spanish Songs and Piano Works by Schubert & Chopin @ Mirabella Seattle
May 20 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Spanish Songs | Piano Works by Schubert & Chopin

Featuring:

Diane Althaus, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano
Valentina Rodov, piano

Artist bios
Program PDF – TBA

 

May
26
Fri
[In Person] Piano Works by Mozart & Chopin | Laughter is the Best Medicine @ Music Center of the Northwest
May 26 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Piano Works by Mozart & Chopin | Laughter is the Best Medicine

Featuring:

Emiko Hori, piano
Tiina Ritalahti, soprano
Joan Lundquist, piano

Artist bios
Program PDF