Fan Facts of the Carnegie Hall Concerts!

Eight members participated in our virtual musicale on October 22. Utako played Chopin’s Etude Op. 25 No. 1, the Aeolian harp; Natale played Scriabin’s Impromptu No. 2; and, Sabine played the Fantasia in C minor by Mozart. All performances were top notch.Sam then presented his updated project “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?Practice! and Research”. This is a fascinating research project utilizing information from the Carnegie Hall database, a public resource – full of fun facts that you can use to impress your friends and others!

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(Submitted by Kimber Kwiatkowski)

Fourteen members and a guest, ranging from Texas, Oregon, and Minnesota to Georgia, gathered on Zoom on October 8, 2020 for our weekly musicale. The performers were: Michael Brounoff playing the first movement of Schubert’s Sonata in A minor, D. 784; Natale Farrell playing Kapustin’s Sonatina Op. 100; Utako Tanigawa playing Scarlatti’s Sonata K. 27/L. 449; and Shoko Tanaka playing the Brahms Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2. All of the performances were very convincing. The highlight of the musicale was Board Member Shoko Tanaka’s presentation about her life and music. Please enjoy it at https://youtu.be/gvvlm2DsCdg.

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(Submitted by Kimber Kwiatkowski)

The musicale on October 2, 2020 proved to be entertaining and enlightening. Eighteen

members, from the continental US to Japan, participated. New member Judy Darst

played Chopin’s Harp Etude and Schumann’s Romance in F#; new member Michael

Brounoff played the second movement of Schubert’s Sonata in A Major, D. 664; and

Utako Tanigawa played Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso Op. 14. All performances

were polished and excellent. As a special treat, Ruth Purcell sang and played her

mountain dulcimer that she made! She performed Apple Picker’s Reel by Larry Hanks

(older brother of Tom).

The new members then discussed their varied and interesting backgrounds.

J. MICHAEL BROUNOFF

I am a retired attorney and judge living in Plano, Texas.  I took piano lessons from age 6

through high school.  In law school I directed the music for the satirical review, Assault

and Flattery.  While a practicing attorney I directed the music for local productions of

Broadway musicals.  I resumed formal piano study at age 53 with Dr. Tamas Ungar of

Texas Christian University and Dr. Fred Karpoff of Syracuse University.  I am a three-

time semi-finalist at the Cliburn amateur piano competition and, through attending Piano

Texas, a five-time soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony.

Judy Darst

I was born in Minnesota (1936) and wanted to be a Veterinarian.  Women were

discouraged at that time, Plus I was lousy at Math so opted for Music.  I started lessons at

age 8 and didn’t like it at first.  When we moved to a small town outside of Minneapolis I

had a wonderful teacher, Louise Guhl.  I was at Carleton College Northfield Minn. for 2

years then transferred to the U. Of Colorado Boulder.  I married right out of College and

started teaching at home.. though my background was in Performance.  I taught for 42

years, got my National Certification, and did adjudication for National Guild of Piano

Teachers.  I had 2 boys, Seth the older now a Professor at Rockefeller in Manhattan (

Molecular Bio Physicist) became a fine Pianist.  I started teaching him at age 8..but he

needed to go somewhere else.  I started a Piano Group in Loveland Colorado, was a

performing member of Ladies Musical Club in Seattle and currently live in Bend

Oregon.  When we moved to Oregon in 2005 I became interested in the Amateur Piano

Competitions and have participated ..Wash. DC, WIPAC, Chicago, Boston, Colorado

Springs and San Diego.  I showed horses oven fences (Hunter Division) and taught

Country Line Dancing  but now am more interested in Piano than ever, more appropriate

for my age.  With the current situation I find bringing up things I have done in the past,

seeing them in a new light ..is rewarding.  I look forward to participating in this Group!

10/2 Musicale YouTube Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxrkjeVCTd4&t=99s

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(Submitted by Kimber Kwiatkowski)