July 24 (corrected)
Island Consort presents a four-concert series in this 2nd Annual “Luise Greger Women in Music Fest.”
Born in Germany in 1862, Luise Greger began her musical life as a piano prodigy at the age of five, and was composing by the age of 11. She was a prolific composer, recognized—before the rise of Hitler—as one of the greatest musical artists of the Romantic period. She was euthanized in 1944, a victim of the Nazi regime.
Though much of her work was destroyed or lost during WWII, her family made a rare find in 1990: They discovered 170 of Louise’s 200 art songs in an old iron trunk. Her work has since been revived in concerts and radio programs throughout Germany and here on Whidbey Island—in concerts in August of 2015, March of 2016 and, now again this August.
Our Women in Music Festival offers four different concerts:
• Young Women in Music, featuring some of Whidbey’s finest teen women, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18 at the Langley United Methodist Church, Langley.
• Women of Note(s) Women Artists Perform Women Composers at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug.19 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland.
The concert, with works by Luise Greger, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Rebecca Clarke AND Whidbey’s own Cynthia Morrow, features the world-renowned mezzo-soprano Eleni Matos. Miss Matos has received universal acclaim and been hailed as a winner in an unprecedented 34 of today’s most coveted vocal competitions (more than any classical singer). These competitions include the Maria Callas International competition of Greece, the Luciano Pavarotti International competition and the Queen Elisabeth International competition of Belgium.
Most recently, Matos was awarded a career grant from the REC Music Foundation. She has sung throughout the world under the batons of such renowned conductors as Daniel Bareboim, Zubin Mehta and Leonard Slatkin, Neeme Jarvi and Jahjah Ling Murry Sidlin, Bruno Bartoletti and Neal Goren. Matos is currently in the process of recording the music of Luise Greger.
Also featured on this program are Cynthia Morrow, violin/viola and Roxanna Patterson, viola. Cynthia Morrow is a violinist, violist, songwriter and composer who spent 30 years in Hollywood studios and now lives and works on Whidbey Island. She is a member of Island Consort, Deux Femmes Musique and she conducts the Whidbey Island Community Orchestra. (See more about Patterson below!)
• Songs from a Woman’s Heart with Joni Takanikos and Sheila Weidendorf at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Ott & Murphy Winery Tasting Room in Langley
Joni Takanikos is a singer/songwriter living in the rich artistic community of Whidbey Island. She is inspired by music of all genres and cultures and continues to explore the vast landscape of the musical field. Not long ago she toured her rendition of Martha Furey’s play, “Edith Piaf, Songbird of Paris” in the U.S. and Ireland. Joni will be performing her own songs as well as songs by Stevie Nicks, Joan Armatrading and more!
• Roxanna Patterson, In Concert with Sheila Weidendorf at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21 at the waterfront home of Marion Henny, Langley. (Includes Wine/Hors d’oeurves/Dessert Reception).
We are so pleased to present violist Roxanna Patterson in this closing concert of the festival, playing works by Haydn, Brahms, Rebecca Clarke and more. Patterson began her professional career at age 16 as a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Forth Worth Opera Orchestras. She later attended the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University) and played in the Houston Symphony, Houston Opera Orchestra and served as Concertmaster of the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Her teachers included Ron Patterson, Eudice Shapiro, Wayne Crouse and Karen Tuttle.
In 1979 Patterson moved to Monte Carlo with her husband, Concertmaster Ron Patterson. There she changed instruments from violin to viola and the couple formed the unique violin/viola ensemble Duo Patterson. A chamber music enthusiast, Roxanna has performed extensively in this capacity, recently recording the “Hindemith Trio Op.47 for Viola, Heckelphone and Piano” for the Centaur label. Roxanna has also recorded for the Ante Aeternum, CRI, and VOX labels and appeared on European and American television. She has appeared in recital and as soloist with orchestras in France, Italy, Germany, England, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and the U.S.
In 1984 she received the first Special Award from the Princess Grace Foundation and was decorated by Prince Rainier of Monaco with Chevalier de l’Ordre du Merite Culturel. She and her husband reside in Seattle, Washington.
Note: Aug, 18, 19 and 20 concerts begin at 7 p.m; the Sunday, Aug 21 Concert and Dessert Reception begin at 2 p.m. Reservations required.
Festival Partners: Pianist Sheila Weidendorf, founder and Artistic Director of Island Consort, frequently performs chamber music and other concerts in the region. She is devoted to encouraging the love of music and making concerts—especially classical concerts—accessible to everyone. She is joined by co-sponsor Elizabeth (Greger) Derrig. Derrig is a career attorney who also provides professional real estate services with Coldwell Banker Bain. In 2013, Derrig and her husband Joe traveled to Germany to see a reproduction of Luise Greger’s lost fairytale musical “Goose Girl.” She returned with some of the composer’s musical scores and a passion to uncover the full original version of “Goose Girl” for production in the United States. Derek is able to collaborate, through Coldwell Banker Bain’s Community Partnership program, with Island Consort’s efforts to expand opportunities for young women in music by sharing the works of talented female artists from all times.
FFI: Sheila Weidendorf 360-320-2362 or email sweidendorf@whidbey.com
Island Consort, Whidbey’s resident early music ensemble, is an umbrella partner of Whidbey Island Arts Council, a 501C3, not-for-profit organization. www.islandconsort.org www.islandartscouncil.org/programs.