Newsletter: March 2026
Claudia’s Comments
Dear Mu Phis,
I hope we are through with the very cold weather and that you all are doing well. I can’t believe we are already in Lent. Spring weather seems to be here and I am preparing for my upcoming trip to Tokyo to visit my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Without sharing too many details, last month’s meeting at CC Young Senior Center was very successful and everyone enjoyed the spread provided by Mu Phis and the music was delightful. Thank you to all Mu Phis who attended, performed and brought refreshments.
Our patron, Mary Alice Rich will be attending a WOMEN IN MUSIC symposium at the Univ. of Arkansas March 6-8 in Fayetteville. She and operatic singers, WeiShu & MengJung and pianist Ying-Shan, will be presenting excerpts of her opera Beautiful Red along with her niece whose life is the basis for the libretto! We wish her very well and safe travels! Toi, toi MA!
Our year is winding down and I hope more of you can attend our last meetings. Welcome to several of our new members. How happy we are to have you join us!
Please remember to keep our alumni members in your thoughts and prayers as we all have struggles of one form or another to overcome. Even when our world is so challenging, let music be a source of comfort and strength.
In Friendship and Harmony,
Claudia Jameson, President
Next MeetingS
MArch Meeting – Traditions
10:30 a.m. meeting / 11:00 performance
Location: Traditions - Independent Living (across from Central Market) 5850 E Lovers Lane. Dallas
Program:
Pat Suitt and Susan Poelchau, duo piano:
Berceuse from the “Dolly Suite” by Caesar Franck
Claudia Jameson, soprano and Tena Hehn, piano
Ramona, by Mabel Wayne
Lullaby of Broadway, by Harry Warren
Shadow Waltz, by Harry Warren
Pat Suitt and Susan Poelchau, duo piano:
En bateau from the “Petite Suite” of Debussy
Akosua Adwini-Poku, soprano and Tena Hehn, piano
Four Encore Songs, by Florence Price:
1. Tobacco
2. A Flea and a Fly
3. "Come, come," said Tom's Father
4. Song of the Open Road
April Meeting – Collegiate Outreach
Location: Home of Nancy Laine
Host: Nancy Laine
Potluck lunch – Please RSVP to Nancy stating what you will bring.
Program:
Collegiate Program
Scholarship Winner
Election of Officers
Last Meeting
January Meeting – Welcoming the New Year
Susan Poelchau will host us assisted by co-hosts Ashley Bouras and Mary Alice Rich.
Program:
Fran Pearson - selections from J. S .Bach Suite No 1 in G major for Unaccompanied Cello (played on viola)
Dylan Kirk, tenor (Beta Mu, Commerce; music teacher at Richland Elementary School/Richardson) – singing Being Alive from Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” with Nancy Laine at piano
Amy Canchola, soprano and Noe Garcia, guitar – performing 2 Schubert Lieder, Autumn Leaves and Cielito Linda.
February Meeting – joint meeting with MPE & SAI – Joining in music
Joint meeting with MPE and SAI - Joining in Music
By Claudia Jameson
In February Mu Phi and SAI had their joint meeting as usual. We've been doing this for a long time and this year, as hosts, we chose to meet at CC Young Senior living center at the invitation of our lovely friend and Mu Phi member Pat Hill whom we lost last year. Several of us prepared quite a spread of goodies with Valentine themed decorations.
Both groups had wonderful musicians perform for us. The recital began with Dallas Consort of Viols: Susan Scheib, treble viol; Marilyn Browne, tenor viol; Todd Marsh, tenor viol; Marsha Heinkele, tenor (bass) viol; Thane Isaac, bass viol; and Noe Garcia, lute. They played:
Selections from the music of John Dowland:
Lachrimae Antiquae Novae
M. John Langtons Pavan
Sir Henry Umptons Funeral
The King of Denmark’s Galiard
Noe Garcia then performed two classical guitar pieces: “Serenata Española,” by Joaquín Malats and “El Vito,” by Regino Sainz de la Maza .
SAIs Vicki Suárez and Judy Dobbins played a flute duet - “Two Morning Birds,“ by Joachim Johow and the lovely Elgar piece, “Salut d'Amour”.with Marilyn Rogers at the piano.
Karla Wintle played two piano pieces, “Intermezzo in A Major, Opus 118, no. 2,” by Johannes Brahms and “Valse a la manière de Borodine,” by Maurice Ravel
The concert ended with Mu Phi Alicia McCormick singing three show tunes with Nancy Laine at the piano: “Falling in Love with Love” from The Boys from Syracuse by Richard Rodgers; “Vanilla Ice Cream” from She Loves Me by Jerry Bock; and “Till There Was You” from The Music Man by Meredith Wilson.
The audience, attended by about 30 C C Young residents plus the SAI and MPE members, was very enthusiastic and enjoyed the refreshments afterwards. It was altogether a very enjoyable evening.
chapter news
General Announcements
Our Scholarship deadline is April 1, and we are reminding presidents of chapters in SC2 to remind their members to apply for this $500 scholarship. All information is now online and those applying can do so online.
The nominating committee will present a slate at the April meeting. It is composed of: Mary Williams, Nancy Laine and Tena Hehn. Contact one of the if you could take one of the officer’s jobs or committee positions.
Next Newsletter: May 4 – deadline for submissions May 1.
member news
Welcome New Members
Please add to your yearbook and welcome these new members:
Julio Villeda, a recent graduate of Texas A&M Commerce.
He is a singer and composer.
We also welcome back Melissa Young
Phi Psi - SMU/Piano
Claudia Jameson: So happy to have attended the dedication service at Trinity University's Margarite B Parker Chapel in San Antonio. Met with fellow alums, Betsy Oliver Tyvoll and Erika Zetty. So wonderful to see Rev. Raymond and Mary Jane Judd who made such a difference in the lives of so many students. We are forever grateful for you both!
Mary Williams and Mary Alice Rich attended the service for Katy Freiberger at First Presbyterian Church on Jan 31. Here is her obituary:
From Phyllis Wilson:
Just wanted to let the Mu Phis know, my husband fell on the ice and broke his shoulder. He had surgery in February and was in the hospital several days. Phyllis
From Nancy Laine:
So proud of my son, Chris Unzicker, who performed Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar with the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony on Feb. 28. (He played it on his senior recital at OCU last spring, where I accompanied him. Sadly, I wasn’t even be able to go hear him because I had already committed to accompany band students at Solo & Ensemble that day.)
Selections from Mary Alice Rich’s opera The Beaufiful Red are being presented at the Festival of Women in Music at the University of Arkansas March 6—8.
Lecture-Recital: WeiShu Tsai | Beautiful Red – A New Opera by Mary Alice Rich
concert series
Our spring series has featured outstanding musicians that we can be proud to sponsor. We have also had pretty good attendance, with the Harp Society harpist Juan Riveros drawing an audience of about 85 on February 8. He was joined by violist Danny Jordan on some pieces.
On February 15th the wonderful Kim Quartet had two new members in it as one sibling moved away, and the former painist was not available. There was a last minute change of venue and time (to First Presbyterian Church Chapel at 2:30 – just down the street) as the piano at the library was not usable (piano string broke). However, we had an audience of 37 who managed to find us to enjoy their great program of Mason, Haydn, Handel, Dring and Franck.
The trio of Dallas Symphony musicians Desiree Elsevier, viola; Maria Schleuning, violin; and Anastasia Marina played a beautiful program of Bach, Mozart, Amy Beach, Salkottas and Frank Bridge on February 22.
Emmanuel Kwok, cello and Xinzhou Li, piano played a few short pieces of Rachmaninoff and Mendelsohn and the demanding and beautiful Rachmaninoff Sonata for Cello and Piano in g minor, Op 19.
We applaud and thank all these performers.
CONVENTION
Convention: July 23-25, 2026, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Imagine, Innovate, Inspire
See Triangle article and website for more information and application details: www.muphiepsilon.org/apply
Put the conference on your calendar to attend it July 23-25. So many fun things are being planned with a minimum of business events.
AA from Dallas - $365
Bradley Hotel - $169 through MPE link
Conference Reg fee - Full-Package Registration
Early Bird registration fee of $325 is available through April 30.
After April 30, the registration fee increases to $375.
The full-package registration fee includes all meals on Friday and Saturday, and access to all Convention events. The last day to cancel and receive a full registration refund is June 30.
international
Deadlines for some of grant opportunities are fast approaching. See full details at: