Chopin in black and white and technicolor
The music of Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) has captured the hearts, ears, and emotions of music lovers across generations and geographies. Part concert, part talk, “Chopin in Black and White and Technicolor” is the final Sunday Salon Series event for this season. Award-winning LMC pianist Diana Gao introduces Chopin’s rarely heard Ballade No. 2 in F Major, with its stark black-and-white contrasts. Musicologist Dr. Larry Starr then explores the Ballade, as well as Chopin’s popular Fantaisie in F minor, a free-flowing musical kaleidoscope, with Gao’s musical illustrations on the piano. The Salon concludes with another presentation of the Ballade — this time with new ears — and a full performance of the Fantaisie, followed by Q&A with both Larry and Diana. Whether you’re a lifelong Chopin fan or just being introduced, you’ll be sure to walk away with new ways to hear these timeless pieces. Tickets are $30 for General Admission and $10 for LMC members.
Purchase Tickets
Tickets and more event details are found HERE. Tickets are $10 for LMC Members and $30 for General Admission.
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.
Gracie Potter is in her Senior year at the Colburn School, where she studies with David Rejano. She has performed with the LA Phil, The Phoenix Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra. She was a winner in the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle Competition and won the ITA Robert Marsteller Competition. She was also a finalist in the ITA Trombone Quartet Competition and a quarter finalist for the Michel Becquet International Trombone Competition. In 2022, Gracie won the Keston MAX Competition at Music Academy, placed first in the International Women’s Brass Conference Trombone Category, placed second in the Final, and won the Phoenix Brass Collective competition. She is currently a Shires Rising Artist where she has received masterclasses from world renowned musicians. In 2021, she placed 3rd overall in Ian Bousfields International Trombone Competition and became a New World sub and has been subbing with them occasionally. In 2020, she received a New Horizons Fellowship from Aspen Music Festival and School and was a recipient for the Arizona MusicFest Scholarship. This summer she attended the Tanglewood Music Center and the summer prior she attended Music Academy, where she studied with Mark Lawrence, Nitzan Haroz and Weston Sprott. During the summer of 2021 she attended the Aspen Music Festival, where she received lessons and classes with James Miller, Peter Sullivan, Per Brevig, and Timothy Higgins. She took part in chamber ensembles, trombone choir, recitals, and orchestra concerts. She also won the Concerto Competition and performed the Frank Martin Concerto for Seven Winds, Timpani, and Strings with the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra. In 2020, she attended The MasterWorks Festival, and in 2019, she was selected to be a member of the National Youth Orchestra and performed in multiple countries on the NYO European Tour.
won numerous regional competitions including the coveted Seattle Young Artist Music Festival Medal. Yvette has distinguished herself nationally as a finalist in the MTNA competition and as SFCM’s 2021/22 Concerto Competition winner. Internationally, Yvette placed 2nd at the 2020 Grumiaux International Violin Competition in Brussels and was a semi-finalist in the 2019 Louis Spohr International Violin Competition in Weimar. Recently Yvette performed in New York City at the prestigious Charlotte White’s “Salon de Virtuosi” Holiday Concert and has been sought after as a soloist in California and Tennessee. Yvette is an NPR “From The Top” Fellow and solo performer and has performed with numerous orchestras including the Seattle Symphony. She studied with Simon James, and she currently studies with Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. 
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