LMC Presents: Radical Traditionalists – A Concert Talk on Ravel & Debussy (Part II)

 Radical traditionalists: A Concert Talk on ravel & debussy(Part II)

In an interplay between performance and illuminating commentary, award-winning LMC pianist Diana Gao and musicologist Dr. Larry Starr explore Ravel’s Sonatine and Debussy’s Pour le piano. Q&A with both Diana and Larry will conclude the presentation. Whether you’re a lifelong Debussy and Ravel fan or just being introduced, you’ll be sure to walk away with new ways to hear these timeless pieces.

This event will be held at Woodlawn Hall, in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood.

This is the final part of a series on Ravel and Debussy. The first concert talk was on November 18th, 2023 and explored Ravel’s Jeux d’eau, Debussy’s “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book 1, and Debussy’s Estampes.

Purchase Tickets

Tickets and more event details are found HERE. Tickets are $15 for LMC Members, $20 for General Admission, and $10 for guests 18 & Under or Students. Light refreshments served before.

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. Diana will be featured on Classical KING’s Northwest Focus Live on April 26th at 7pm.