Newsletter November 2024
CLAUDIA'S COMMENTS
I know you are feeling that fall is in the air! I can actually enjoy being outdoors! If you get a chance, visit the Dallas Arboretum with their spectacular pumpkin display! It sets the mood for the season. I really enjoyed our first meeting at Ashley’s lovely home.
Nancy’s son, Chris gave a great performance of Joaquin Rodrigo pieces on classical guitar. I know we all wish him well as he continues his studies at OCU. It was especially fun visiting with Ashley and Basil's daughters, Evelyn and Constance. It made me feel nostalgic about my trip to Oregon to see my granddaughter.
Thank you to all those who attended our September meeting and brought such delicious food. I love that we truly share our ties of friendship, mutual respect and especially music.
Mu Phi ❤️,
Claudia Jameson, President
NEXT MEETINGS
This year’s meetings are: Better than Ever!
November: Choosing the Sublime
Monday, November 11 – 7 pm
Location: Home of Claudia Jameson
Host: Claudia Jameson
Co-host: Tena Hehn
Program: Ashley Bouras and Lisa Beyer will present
“Mindful Meditation” as they will present it at the AOSA convention.
Founders' Day Ceremony
NO DECEMBER MEETING
January: : Early Music Fun
Monday, January 13, 7 pm
Location: Home of Susan Poelchau
Host: Susan Poelchau
Co-hosts: Mary Alice Rich and Julie Schmitt
Program:
- Susan Poelchau and Claudia Jameson
Early music selections
- Julie Schmitt, piano
LAST MEETING
September: Everyone Participates!
Ashley Bouras hosted our first meeting of the season at her new home in Rowlett. We enjoyed a potluck lunch sharing dishes we all brought and a quick visit with her two sweet daughters.
Our program was given by Chris Unzicker, guitar (Nancy Laine’s son), who played a delightful program of guitar music:
- Madroños by Federico Moreno Torroba
- Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega.
- a little of the first movement of the Concierto Aranjuez by Rodrigo
October: Combining Great Sounds
Monday, October 7
Pat Suitt hosted our October meeting with help from co-hosts
Mary Ann Taylor and Kathie Johnson.
The program featured:
- Claudia Jameson, soprano, Lisa Beyer, cello and Susan Poelchau, piano - Elegie by Massenet
- Pat Suitt and Margaret Mulvaney-Claibourne, duo-piano
Mini-lecture on the life of JC Bach given by Margaret.
They played:
- JC Bach: Sonata in G major Op 15 #5
- Moszkowski: # 1-3 from 5 Spanish Dances, op. 12
CHAPTER NEWS
Yearbooks
If you did not pick up a yearbook at the last meeting and did not get one in the mail, contact Mary Williams to request that one be mailed to you. Check your listing to be sure it is correct; if not, let Mary know to correct it for the next issue and to let our members know.
Website
The website is mostly updated but there is still a problem with Chrome updating new files in a timely manner. For most current content, access our website using Firefox or Edge - http://www.muphiepsilondallas.org.
Our patron Basil Bouras has been a huge help in getting the website to its almost finished state. He will be our next webmaster when Mary is no longer able to do it. In the meantime he is helping her understand what she doesn’t yet know about WordPress. Please give Basil a “thank you” when you see him. (The continuation of our website has been a big question mark and no small matter – and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it will continue. Yeah!)
Member News
Anam
Mary Alice Rich reports that the last performance of Anam took place on September 20th afternoon and used up the last of our MPE Foundation grant money. The Helen Haupt grant for the opera Anam is now completed by the performance at Dealey Montessori on 9/20.
Claudia Jameson expressed gratitude for the chapter’s support for the opera, and announced that David Meija (cast member) has a grant to present a full production by the TCU opera department next spring as a project for his doctorate under the guidance of TCU Prof. Corey Trahan! Librettist Claudia Navarro Jameson and Mary Alice Rich are beyond thrilled!❣️Special gratitude for Susan Poelchau who has helped in the development of La Bruja Anám y la Bella Beatrice every step of the way.
Summary from Claudia:
Anám The Witch and Beatrice The Beautiful, a children’s opera based on a Mexican folktale written by Claudia Jameson, Beta Kappa, and composed by Mary Alice Rich, Dallas Alumni Patron, completed performances in various elementary schools in Dallas. It was supported by Mu Phi's Helen Haupt grant and is now being produced by Texas Christian University's opera program, headed by Corey Trahan and tenor David Mejia. Mr. Trahan writes, “TCU Opera is thrilled to receive a DEI Programming Grant from the TCU College of Fine Arts. David Mejía Jr. introduced me to an opera, La Bruja Anám y la Bella Beatrice and shared his passion for seeing it produced on campus. Thanks to this grant, it will happen in Spring 2025.”
Amy Canchola presented at the NATS convention in July.
Ashley Bouras and Lisa Beyer will present their “Mindful Movement” session at the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA) national conference on November 16, 2024 in Iowa.
Akousa Adwini-Poku will be performing at SMU:
- Friday, December 6, 2024 at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm in the Taubman Atrium for Fall Opera: L'enfant et les sortilèges by Maurice Ravel and
- Saturday, December 7th at 6 pm in Caruth Auditorium for her chamber recital. She will perform with a string group and also with piano accompaniment. Contact Mary Williams or Akosua for a copy of the program.
Our Mu Phi pianist Leslie Spotz has retired from Tarleton University in Stephenville as Professor of Piano. She may be teaching in Stephenville in fall keeping a few students she loves.
She plans to be just as active, but doing more fun things including more performing and recording. She performed at "Eipianopira Festival" in Brazil this past July and gave three concerts in Sweden in late August. In November she performs at the Dallas library on the 10th, and she is playing at Oak Branch Music Nov 17 which is a little west of Austin and then will be guest artist at Costa Rica Piano Festival. In January she will be back at the Library accompanying Ivo Ivanov, violinist from the Fort Worth Symphony. "That'll keep me busy for awhile!" she says. Let us support this Mu Phi performer by attending her concerts at the Library.
Ashley Bouras was music director for MYO production of The Newsies in October.
Joan Merriman, musician and friend of many Mu Phis, died June 29. A service for her will be held on Friday, October 18 at 2 pm at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. She requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera or Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (her alma mater).
Friend of many, Gretchen Nichols, (cellist) has molecular lymphoma stage 4, but healthwise, is in a holding pattern at the moment. We wish her well.
Kimla Beasley reports: Mom is still doing well, she keeps me busy😊
Susan Poelchau is happy to report that her father and mother-in-law, Harald and Dorothee Poelchau, have been honored with an 8-story high mural in Berlin, Germany, for their work in aiding Jews during the Third Reich. She says: Harald and I were not able to attend the dedication but have heard it was quite well attended. The motive of the hands supporting a potential victim to escape was suggested by students of the nearby highschool. The writeup is in English, if you are interested.
[What a wonderful honor!]
The full story is at: https://urban-nation.com/2024/07/one-wall-by-innerfields/
Photo: Ludger Paffrath
Concert Series
This Sunday November 3 at 2 pm is the fabulous pianist Eldred Marshall. He will play an all-Bach program Don’t miss him. He astounds!
“Bach: The Virtuoso!”
- Toccata in C minor, BWV 911
- Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971
- French Overture in B minor,
BWV 831
Our Stephenville Mu Phi pianist Leslie Spotz who recently retired from Tarleton University as Professor of Piano will be performing on November 10th at the Dallas Library and coming to our November meeting on the 11th. In January she will be back at the Library accompanying Ivo Ivanov, violinist from the Fort Worth Symphony.
On Nov 10th she will play: |
- Melody” from Orpheus, by Christoph W.
Gluck, arr. G. Sgambati
- Sonata in F minor, Op 57
“Appassionata,”
by Ludwig van Beethoven
- Devastação, by Virgílio Miranda
- Kingdom Hearts, by Yoko Shimomura
- Tetris, arr. by Sonya Belousova
- Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66,
by Frédéric Chopin
We have added a spring performer to the line-up you will also want to hear. Fenia Chang is scheduled as a pianist for March 23 with “a violinist.” That violinist is now identified as Motoi Takeda, the wonderful violinist from the Dallas Symphony. We are so lucky to have these great performers play for us at our concerts.
Our Famous Concert Series
Mary Ann Taylor has written a wonderful history of our concert series for the Triangle at their request. It was not in this recent issue, so will probably be in the next one.
Andrew Anderson has been able to introduce the programs so far and Mary Williams has been at the lobby desk; we may still need volunteers to take care of the table and introduce the performers in future. We have had moderate audiences for each of our concerts so far, but could have many more people. Please spread the word and come, bringing friends.
Concerts are at 2 pm at the downtown Library and are FREE. Parking in the garage under the Library is also free – enter from Wood St, the street behind the Library. Please support these talented musicians who are volunteering their time and talent to help us achieve our goal of bringing music to Dallas, especially under-served populations.
Our website has the concert series schedule, performer biographies and photos as we receive them and their programs as we receive them. There will be the addition of names of collaborators and accompanists as we go along. Chrome is still slow to update news – use Firefox or Edge.
Click on Concert Series – Select Schedule, Performers, Programs, or History.
INTERNATIONAL
See the Foundation website if you are interested in getting a grant or scholarship.
http://www.MPEFoundation.org
Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation Board
[email protected]
MPE International Executive Board:
Ann Geiler- 3rd VP - Alumni Advisor
Haley Stevens- Social media
Kat Bratz - Triangle Editor
Liana Sandin - 1st VP – Extension Officer
Kurt-Alexander Zeller - President
Marshall Pugh - 4th VP – Music Advisor
Ashley Bouras - 2nd VP – Collegiate Advisor
Tanner Wilson - 5th VP – Eligibility Advisor
Jess LaNore INEST - International Executive Office/Secretary/Trea
