Jan. 7, 2015

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is excited to announce the the 88 Keys Piano Club in Zech Hall, featuring some of the top talent in the genre, side by side with host Maureen Girard.

The show will be based loosely on both the hit NPR Music and Chat program Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland and Maureen Girard’s own very successgul House Concert Series that she has hosted and presented for 10 years at her own 88 Keys Piano Studio in Langley. She will feature many of her long time friends, including Jessica Williams, David Lanz, Claudio Mendez, Karin Kajita and many many more noted pianists from the Seattle area and around the world.

At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24,  Marueen welcomes special guest Karin Kajita.Karin is an accomplished pianist who has been a part of the Seattle jazz scene for many years. Karin studied piano formally for sixteen years and earned degrees in music, piano performance and music education at the University of WA. Karin is the leader of the Karin Kajita Jazz Quintet and also performs with Emily McIntosh, the David George 10tet, the Blues Street Voices and Mairin & Friends.

Karin has played professionally in Seattle, New York, Denver, Wichita, Canada and Salt Lake City. She has done five tours of Japan, playing and singing in hotel lounges. She has performed for Crystal and Norwegian Cruise Lines in Alaska, northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Please join us in Zech Hall for this exciting new show in this intimate setting for an evening of great piano music with solo performances, performances on two pianos, conversation, fun and fine wine and small plates. Tickets are $20.

For tickets call 800-638-7631 or 360-221-8268, or visit the box office at 565 Camano Avenue in Langley between 1 and 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday- or two hours before any show. Visit www.wicaonline.org to purchase your tickets online. Online ticket sales are available until noon the day of the show.