Celebrate Piano Ensemble (CPE) will be bringing music to the masses in a collaborative, family-friendly event on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz.
The concert is an opportunity for people to hear finely matched grand pianos in one of the most intimate acoustic halls on the Central Coast. The duo-pianists (local professionals and friends) offer exciting music not often heard.
All proceeds will benefit Talent Bank and the Josephine Alvarado Memorial Bach Scholarship fund, both awarding scholarships to young music students of Santa Cruz County. Come enjoy live classical and contemporary piano music while benefitting the county’s young music students.
The concert raises funds for children’s music scholarships: the Opportunity Grant and Talent Bank programs through the Santa Cruz County branch of the Music Teachers’ Association of California. In the more than 20 years that CPE has been active, hundreds of students have benefited from these programs by receiving both need-based and merit scholarships. Support will help keep music lessons for local youth.
This year’s program includes music for two or more pianists by Dave Brubeck, Claude Debussy, Antonin Dvorak, Ernesto Lecuona, Darius Milhaud, Mozart and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Performers include Lenora Ford Brown, Marina Kandieva-Thomas, Nicki Kerns, Lynn Kidder, John Orlando, Ron Parrish, Ivan Rosenblum, Barbara Ruzicka, Rebecca Teutschel, Heather Thompson Smits, Kumiko Uyeda and Vlada Volkova-Moran.
CPE is a group of local professionals and friends who are passionate about performing duets (two people on one piano), duos (two people on two pianos), and any other combination that includes at least two pianists.
One of the artists, Nicki Kerns, is downright chuffed about the opportunity.
“CPE, is an opportunity for pianists who share a love of piano ensemble music to get together and play repertoire written for piano duet (two people on one piano), piano duo (two people on two pianos), or other combinations that involve at least two pianists. Past collaborations included piano duet with tango dancers, piano duet with chamber choir and piano duo with rock band,” Kerns said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase a genre of music that, in my opinion, deserves to be heard much more. CPE’s concerts serve as the main fundraiser for the Talent Bank scholarship program, run by the Santa Cruz County branch of the Music Teachers’ Association of CA (MTAC). Audience members can enjoy live music by local professional pianists and know that they are also supporting deserving young music students throughout the county.”
While the concert is free, organizers are suggesting a $20 donation to the cause.
“It’s family friendly, exceptional quality performances by highly skilled pianists, all to support the next generation of musicians in our community. What could be better?” asked Kerns.
The concert starts at 4pm at the 400-seat Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High St., in Santa Cruz. Donations may be made by visiting sccmtac.org and clicking on the PayPal button or sending a check made out to SCCMTAC to 131 Cave Gulch, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
