Intergenerational Concert a Delight!

Contributed by Julia Freeman

Musicians-in-residence from the University of Maryland, Natalie Groom and Ieseul Yoen, organized a “Resident Collaboration Concert” in the Collington Auditorium performing to a full house. The work put in by both the residents and students showed in the performances for which the audience gave enthusiastic approval.

 

Performances are pictured:

  • Mary McCutchan, flute, Ieseul Yoen, piano;
  • H.D. Kim, Voice, Iseul Yoen, piano (Korean songs);
  • Mary McCutchan and Ieseul Yoen, piano;
  • Ieseul Yoen, piano, Natalie Groom, clarinet, Sheri Feldman, soprano, (University of Maryland) performing songs written by Ann Bauer, resident;
  • Ann Bauer explaining the context of her compositions;
  • Don Zelman and Natalie Groom, clarinet (Mozart Basset Horn Duets);
  • Micky Noble, piano, Natalie Groom, clarinet, Polkas – with Helen Swensen and then Helen and Ed Robbins dancing.

What fun!  Thank you Ieseul and Natalie!

Peter Basquin – Our New Resident Concert Pianist

Contributed by Marian Fuchs

Peter Basquin, a new Collington resident, recently gave his first in-house recital. His career has included recital and concert appearances in the US, Europe and the Far East.  He has performed at the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall.  He and his wife Katie moved to Collington this year, and now he’s playing in our auditorium!

At the end of October, Peter packed the hall with a record capacity, and entertained the rapt audience with a range of pieces ranging from a Scarlatti sonata to a Bolcom rag.  He included an impromptu by Shubert, a piece of fun called Kitten on the Keys, with two lovely longer pieces:  Haydn’s sonata in E-flat Major, and Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ sonata.  Peter introduced his pieces with interesting information about their structure and the lives of their composers.  It was a magical hour.

One member of the audience later wrote: “Watching you play just a few feet away from where I was sitting, I saw your economy of movement and felt the connection from head to heart to hands to keys to the strings . For us, the listeners, you gave a profound sense of involvement with the complexity of the sounds and forms emerging in front of us.  It was just wonderful to be a part , for a short while, of your life’s passion.” 

He concluded by saying, surely on behalf of all who were there, “I hope you would be willing to do repeat performances on a regular, if not frequent basis!”

Music at Collington is going from strength to strength.  We now have the Collington Singers, under the professional supervision of maestro Marilyn Haskel as well as the Kollington Kats, whose players grow in skill and quantity with every performance.   We are in the third year of having two young musicians-in-residence from the University of Maryland playing, along with many of their colleagues, a series of performances throughout the year.  We have frequent and varied exciting weekend concerts arranged by resident Carol Kempske, and music every weekday evening by talented residents in the Ivy Lounge. I doubt a single CCRC our size could even come close!

Meet Our New Artists in Residence

contributed by Joe Howard
Our new artists in residence from the University of Maryland School of Music are Ieseul Yoen (piano) and Natalie Groom (clarinet). A meet and greet will be held Monday, September 16, at 5 PM in the courtyard.

They have provided the following information about upcoming performances:

Saturday October 19, 11:00 am
Natalie and Ieseul Debut Recital in Collington Auditorium

Monday October 21, 8:00 pm
Natalie DMA Candidacy Recital
Gildenhorn Recital Hall, University of Maryland School of Music

Tuesday December 10, 2:00 pm
Whistling Hens returns to Collington Auditorium to perform more music by women, including two pieces which were partially funded by the Women’s History Committee!

A Display Case Full of Varied and Finely-Crafted Ceramics

Contributed by Marian Fuchs

Don’t miss the current show in the glass cases opposite The Landing!  For the coming weeks it will hold more than two dozen pieces made by our fellow resident, Martha Wilder.   Who knew that she was so very accomplished a potter?  Each pot or dish or vase or plate is so beautifully made, I thought it was a resident’s collection of pieces he/she had bought and collected over time.   But no — Martha said she made them all, taking classes after she retired.  Once again we can marvel at the hidden talent that we have in our people-rich Collington community.