Friday Concert Series Kicks Off Virtually
The Westmont Music Department launches its Friday Concert Series with a virtual performance featuring Andrea (flute) and Neil Di Maggio (piano) on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. Listen to the free recital at vimeo.com/showcase/westmontmusic.
“We’re excited to present this Friday evening series of video programs in lieu of in-person concerts we’re unable to offer this fall,” says Michael Shasberger, Westmont’s Adams professor of music and worship. “While they take the place of live performances for now, they also allow us to develop creative, virtual programming and reach a much wider audience than our typical live performances would. In the coming weeks, we hope to transition from faculty and alumni offerings to student work as it develops during the fall semester.”
The concert is being recorded at the Santa Barbara Riviera home of Mary Collier, professor emerita of French at Westmont.
Andrea Di Maggio graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in flute performance and earned a Master in Music from UC Santa Barbara. She has won performance awards from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Santa Barbara Music Club, the Music Teacher’s National Association, and the Leni Fe Bland Foundation. She is a founding member of Sonos5winds, the woodwind quintet-in-residence at Westmont, where she is a flute instructor.
Neil Di Maggio, a sought-after collaborative pianist and teacher, serves on the board of the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from San Jose State University, a Master of Music in piano performance from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Master of Music in collaborative piano from UCSB. He enjoys a busy musical career of chamber and solo performances, collaborating with faculty from Westmont, Santa Barbara City College and UCSB. He serves as director of research and prospect management in Westmont College Advancement.
The performance includes Sonata “La Flûte de Pan” by Jules Mouquet (1867-1946); “Three Romances for Flute and Piano,” Op. 94 by Robert Schumann (1810-1856); “Canzone” by Samuel Barber (1910-1981); Variations on the Irish Theme “The Last Rose of Summer,” Op. 105 by Freidrich Kuhlau (1786-1832); and “Fantaisie,” Op. 79 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924).
Future performances in the Friday Concert Series include World Premiere: Songs by Gary Barnett with Nichole Dechaine, Michael Shasberger and Neil Di Maggio on Sept. 11; Tom Joyce Pipe Organ Recital on Sept. 18; and Alumni Spotlight: Carnevale String Quartet from Ruse, Bulgaria, with Sarah Pfister ’12 on viola on Sept. 25.