Mozart on a Boat
Want to share with you this funny and cute video of Anton Nel – concert pianist playing the Mozart “Sonata in A” K.331 at Sea. But on a more serious note you should know that this guy is fantastic musician. You can read a review for more details about his recent performance at the King Center in Denver, Colorado and in his words about himself.
Handful of Keys | Fats Waller
Fats Wallers “Handful of Keys” performed by Jonathan Miles Freeman, a gifted and versatile pianist performing this jazz, great with his own unique arrangement….
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The Virtuoso Duo perform Si mes vers | Reynaldo Hahn
The vocal wizardry of Evangeline Maria Pappas and the piano artistry of Jonathan Miles Freeman are on display in this video…
They are available to be booked for concerts and events and can be reached at the following; 215 884-1025, 267 722-8495,
267 243-6295 and by email. Interview follows performance
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Jonathan Miles Freeman and Maria Pappas for “The Virtuoso Duo”.
Jonathan Miles Freeman – Background and Achievements
Jonathan Miles Freeman, pianist, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano from The Juilliard School where he studied under consecutive scholarships with Sascha Gorodnitzki and Ilona Kabos.
At Jullilliard, he was the recipient of the Carl M. Roeder Memorial Prize in Piano, and in the same year, of the Liberace Keyboard Entertainer Search.
He had previously studied in Philadelphia with Elanor Sokoloff, Kenneth Amada and Susan Starr via the Alexander Hilsberg Memorial Scholarship.
During this time, he also worked with Professor Marian Filar, to whom he returned in later years for advanced study.
As the winner of competitive auditions, Jonathan appeared with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music and Robin Hood Dell. At this time, he also won the Philadelphia Orchestra composition contest.
Maria Pappas – Background and Achievements
Cover Girl for Good Housekeeping Magazine, August 2007, Maria Pappas is an extraordinary spinto-lyrico soprano whose many operatic portrayals of Aida, Tosca, and major roles in L’Amico Fritz, La Boheme, Carmen, Le Cid, The Magic Flute, La Rondine, La Traviata and Turandot have always captivated her audiences.
Maria studied with William Riley, master pedagogue for the Metropolitan Opera and Sony Artists Josephine Guido, and was invited to study privately, gratis, by Licia Albanese. She coached with Roberta Knie, Antonietta Stella and Rita Patane.
Maria was the recipient of the Elsa Fink Junior achievement award for voice, the Esther Boyer Voice Scholarship, and is a member of the Golden Key National Honors Society and the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity.
Maria has sung with the Amici Opera, The Delaware Valley Opera, The little Lyric Opera, and Temple University’s Opera Theater. In concert, she has appeared with Opera International at Teatro di Fiuggi, Italy, and has given local recitals at Rock Hall and Klein Hall, Temple University and the Woodmere Art Museum, to name a few.
Sylvester Stallone personally invited Maria to appear in his movie “Rocky Six” and Lee Daniels engaged her for a solo operatic concert in Rhode Island at the premier of his move “Shodow Boxer.” Nickelodeon TV featured Maria as Brunhilde on their program “Hi-Jinks.”
In addition to her performing activities, Maria Pappas has been teaching voice and piano, and is opening a music studio where she will work jointly with pianist/coach Jonathan Miles Freeman.
Poveri Fiori Performed by The Virtuoso Duo | Adriana Lecouvreur
From the Opera Adriana Lecouvreur, by Francesco Cilea, who lived between 1866 and 1950 comes a gorgeous Aria – Poveri Fiori performed by The Virtuoso Duo.
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Towards the end of June, this past year, I just happened to drop by at the home of Maria Pappas and shoot and record her performing with one Jonathan Miles Freeman. Both Jonathan and Maria are quite extra ordinary musicians who form “The Virtuoso Duo.”
I will be posting clips from their performance of a unique collection of songs. I hope you will tune in.
Here is an in depth demonstration of how technology can help pianists and instrumentalists improve their playing
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For more information, check out PianoTV
Maple Leaf Rag a la Fats Waller
I performed Maple Leaf Rag here more in the Stride Piano style.
Maple Leaf Rag performed by Eben Goresko
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Music Center Presents Concert and Live Auditions in Philadelphia
Rocky Ridge Music Center is a wonderful school located in Colorado just out side of Boulder, Colorado.
Here is some information on their latest activity. Will be putting together a video interview of So Young where she will answer questions about her work as director of RRMC, on Piano TV in the near term. Stay tuned!
Rocky Ridge Music Center Presents Concert and Live Auditions in Philadelphia
BOULDER, COLORADO 11/06/09
Rocky Ridge Music Center is pleased to invite the public to a free concert and live auditions in Philadelphia, PA on November 14th @ 11:00 a.m. in the Recital Hall of the Settlement Music School’s West Philadelphia branch located 4910 Wynnefield Ave.
The concert is part of Rocky Ridge ‘Road Show’ 2009-2010 which features pianist SoYoung Lee, Rocky Ridge Music Director, and baritone Daniel Ihasz, Director of Vocal Studies, in a program that includes Liederkreis, op. 39 by Robert Schumann and an information session about Rocky Ridge residential programs for youth and adults. Directly following the concert and presentation, live auditions for acceptance and scholarship consideration for Rocky Ridge 2010 summer programs for middle school, high school and college students will take place at 12 p.m. Students interested in attending the Young Artist Seminar (age 15-24) or the Junior Student Seminar (age 10-15) should contact Jean Denney to schedule an audition rrmc@rockyridge.org or 970-443-3333.
Rocky Ridge Music Center, founded in 1942 by pianist Beth Miller Harrod, is one of the oldest residential summer music programs in the country. It is located at the foot of Longs Peak (14,256 ft.) in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park. The historic Hewes-Kirkwood Inn and cabins on 17 acres with a stream provide a stunning backdrop for performances, practice, lessons, chamber music, reflection, dining, residence and friendships. Rocky Ridge summer programs for youth (ages 10 to 24) and adults are designed to improve and broaden musical skills in areas of strings, woodwinds, brass, piano and voice through solo, chamber, orchestral, and theory/composition studies, all under the guidance of a world-class faculty and guest artists. More information about RRMC and all its summer offerings can also be found at http://www.rockyridge.org.
RRMC would like to thank the Settlement Music School for their generous hospitality for hosting the November 14 event. Since 1908, more than 300,000 people have benefited from Settlement Music School. The largest community school of the arts in the United States, Settlement provides students at six locations in PA and NJ with high quality instruction and activity in music, dance and the related arts, regardless of age, ability, race or financial circumstances. The School awards close to $2 million in financial aid each year. They are the largest employer of musicians in the Philadelphia region and there is at least one alumni in every major symphony in the United States.
Settlement brings together an enormous diversity of students and helps them not only to develop musical and artistic talents, but also to build self-confidence and readiness for academic and other achievements. Among its many programs are a nationally recognized, award winning pre-school that prepares Head Start-qualified young children for kindergarten through an arts-integrated curriculum. For more information, visit http://www.smsmusic.org or call 215-320-2600.
Alexander Panku Classical Pianist
Alexander Panku has been widely recognized as a compelling musical personality. He has been active as a concert pianist, teacher, composer and organist for many years. Born in Bucharest, Romania, he studied at the George Enescu Music School and the Bucharest Conservatory of Music with distinguished artists teachers. He was the winner of the “Beethoven” competition at the Music School. He made his recital debut at the age of fourteen and the concerto debut at seventeen with the Beethoven Concerto No. 1, at the prestigious Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. One year later he played the Mozart Concerto K. 450 at the Radio-TV Hall, which was televised. During the summers of 1972 through 1976 he studied at the “Mozarteum” in Salzburg with renowned pianist-conductor Carlo Zecchi. He studied briefly with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and obtained a scholarship to study at the Neufchatel Conservatory in Switzerland. He continued his studies in the United States at Temple University and graduated with “Magna Cum Laude”, winning the Concerto Competition with the Beethoven “Emperor” Concerto in 1981. Also he obtained a scholarship from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, and was elected Who’s Who Among Students (1980-81).
Mr. Panku has been playing solo, orchestral, and chamber music concerts for more than thirty years both in Romania and in the United States. His repertoire, rooted in the Classical and Romantic genres, ranges from Bach and Scarlatti to Schonberg, Prokofiev and other modern composers and includes his own compositions. He has been on the piano faculty at several institutions, such as Temple University, Settlement Music School, Academy of Community Music and Bryn Mawr Conservatory.
He has been teaching piano since 1979 and has been on the Piano Faculty at several institutions, such as Temple University, Settlement Music School, Academy of Community Music and Bryn Mawr Conservatory. Also he has taught many private students of all ages and all levels. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance from Temple University where he studied with Mr. Harvey Wedeen, distinguished artist-teacher. Following recital appearances in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “This was a thoughtful and introspective “Waldstein”, yet one which, despite freely changing tempos, was very carefully controlled. His performances have received critical acclaim and he has been described as “a definitive performer, reflecting much of the soul-searching, training, and refining concepts of artistic identity within a deep and mature talent that he has.”
Piano Clips 