CONCERT News:
What: Gioiso Piano Quintet
Music: Shostakovich
Date: May 13, 2022
Time: 5:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:15)
Where: First Presbyterian Church 208 Grant Ave. Santa Fe, NM 87501
Admission: Freewill offering and open to all
For More Information call 982.8544
Program:
Dimitri Shostakovich (b: 9/25/1906, d: 8/9/1975) completed this quintet in September, 1940 while still in Russia.
He wrote the piece intending to play the piano part himself, performing it in Leningrad and Moscow with the Glazunov and Beethoven string quartet ensembles. Shostakovich once joked to a friend that he only wrote it so “the ‘Glazunovs’ and the ‘Beethovens’ won’t be able to do without me – and I’ll get a chance to see the world.”
The quintet consists of 5 movements and is approximately 40 minutes in total length. (If needed, lengths of individual movements can be provided.)
- Prelude. Lento – Poco più mosso – Lento
- Fugue. Adagio
- Scherzo.Allegretto
- Intermezzo. Lento – Appassionato
- Finale. Allegretto
Gioioso!
The volunteer musicians of Gioioso! are dedicated to exploring and performing chamber music from the Renaissance to Modern eras bringing this joyous music to diverse audiences in Santa Fe and Las Vegas. This performance features pianist, Ronald F. Grinage, violinists Ari Lê and Flaviano Prosperini, violist EJ Nelson, and cellist Dina Siegel.
RONALD F. GRINAGE
Ronald F. Grinage earned his Master of Music Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Bachelor of Music Degree from Arizona State University (ASU). Since moving to Santa Fe in 1983, Grinage has become one of the area’s leading pianists. His appearances as soloist, recitalist, accompanist, and chamber music collaborator have earned him critical acclaim for his technical command, versatility, and musicianship.
Grinage was musical director of the popular La Casa Sena Cantina from February of 1984 to April of 2010. During his tenure, Grinage prepared and accompanied the cast in more than 45 Broadway Shows including: ‘Wicked’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Les Miserables’, and ‘A Chorus Line’. In 2000, he served as keyboard player for the National Touring Company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in Popejoy Hall, UNM in Albuquerque. Beginning with the 2000 Santa Fe Opera season, Grinage had operated the ELS (titles) system for 3 of the 5 operas and was thrilled to be “back in the booth” for the 2021 season.
Grinage has taught piano privately since the early 1970s and has served on the faculties of the United World College of the American West in Montezuma, NM, the College of Santa Fe, and the Santa Fe Community College. As a music educator, he presented lectures on opera, chamber music, and Broadway musicals for the Road Scholar Program (formerly Elderhostel) in Santa Fe for 25 years. In 1983, he joined the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico and remains active after, having served as District Vice President, PEP (Performance Evaluation Program) Chair, Advertising Manager, Newsletter Editor, Vice President, and President.
ARI LÊ
Ari Lê has been playing with the Santa Fe Community Orchestra since moving to Santa Fe in 2015. He began playing the violin and viola while growing up in New York and continued to play in orchestras and chamber ensembles in Providence, Paris, Boston, and San Diego. He has studied violin with Lucy Corwin, Hisako Resnick, Charles Sherba, Rictor Noren, and Calvin Wiersma. Lê works as a plasma physicist at Los Alamos National Lab.
FLAVIANO PROSPERINI
Flaviano Prosperini was born in Rome, Italy and began to study violin at the age of six. He came to Santa Fe in 2011 and currently performs with the eSSO Santa Fe, the Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Community Orchestra, and other string groups. He works as a software engineer for the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
EJ NELSON
EJ Nelson, a native of Las Vegas, NM, began playing violin at the age of 10 as part of that city’s Summer Recreation program for elementary students. She earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Boise State University and has performed with the Boise Philharmonic (Boise, ID), Tempe Symphony Orchestra (Tempe, AZ), the Santa Fe Community Orchestra (Santa Fe, NM) and was a founding member of the Littleton Symphony Orchestra (Littleton, CO). She has studied violin/viola with Daniel Stern, William Hsu, Martha Caplin, and Kim Fredenburgh. She recently retired from her profession as a Business Application Systems Analyst.
DINA SIEGEL
Dina Siegel has played cello since the fourth grade. She has been in multiple community orchestras in both Colorado and New Mexico, has played with several chamber music groups, and is currently Principal Cellist of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra. She lives in Santa Fe with her husband Herb.
First Presbyterian offers weekly recitals 5:30-6 p.m. Fridays. These concerts are free and open to all. A freewill offering for the recital fund will be received.