Beethoven winners from left, Gala Nelson, Malaika Philip, Anuita Dzuiba, Janna Warren and Alyssa Sun. Courtesy photo

Beethoven Winners: Left-to-Right Philippa Fung, Julian Hu, Sean Lo, John Kang, Madeline Williamson. Courtesy photo

MUSIC News:

This year marks the 250th celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday.

To honor that occasion, the UNM-LA campus has invited the Los Alamos Music Teachers Association (LAMTA) to kick off the year at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23, at UNM-LA in the Student Services Building.

The event features a public piano recital featuring young Los Alamos pianists who were prize winners of the recent Santa Fe All-Beethoven Sonata Contest.

Out of 43 entrants in the nine levels of competition, Los Alamos pianists claimed more than half of the prizes.

The Sonata Contest has been an annual event for more than a decade and devoted this year to works solely by Beethoven. The competition has nine levels of graduated performance with one required work for each level, performed by all entrants in that particular level.

For the Sunday, Feb. 23 campus recital, 10 of the prize winners will be performing, joined by three other pianists not in the competition, but also presenting solo works of Beethoven.

In keeping with UNM-LA’s ongoing mission of Community Outreach and Service, the 2 p.m. recital is FREE and open to the public.

All performers are students of teachers of LAMTA, who also will host a reception following the recital.

The concert features the following performers and works by Beethoven:

• Alice Chen, age 6, Russian Folk Song, Op. 107, No. 3 (First Prize, Level I)
• Julian Hu, age 8, Romanza from Sonatina in G Major (First Prize, Level II)
• Natan Svyatsky, age 9, Sonatina in F Major, first movement (First Prize, Level III)
• Malaika Philip, age 13 and Angel Meng, age 10, each performing Capriccio: Rage Over the Lost Penny (Respectively, First and Second Prize, Level IV)
• Anna Simakov, age 10, Six Variations on a Swiss Song (Second Prize, Level V)
• Gala Nelson, age 10, Bagatelle in G minor, Op. 119, No 1 (Second Prize, Level VI)
• Alyssa Sun, age 11, Menuetto from Sonata, Op. 49, No. 2 (Second Prize, Level VII)
• Philippa Fung, age 14, Rondo from Sonata, Op. 49, No. 1 (Second Prize, Level VIII)
• Sruthi Garimella, age 17, Adagio cantabile and Rondo from Sonata, Op. 13 (Pathetique) (First Prize, Level IX)

Pianists who were not part of the Sonata Competition also performing:

• Evan Strohmeyer, age 12, Für Elise
• Lenny Svyatsky, age 15, Andante from Sonata in G minor, Op. 49, No. 1
• Jennie Gao, age 16, Presto alla tedesca from Sonata in G Major, Op. 79.

LAMTA’s Sunday Musicales are regular public presentations for the public’s enjoyment and appreciation of the city’s musically talented youth. LAMTA is the local affiliate of the State (PMTNM) and National (MTNA) professional music organizations for independent music teachers and college music faculty.

All performers in Musicales are students of teachers who are professional members of all three organizations. Students for this recital represent teachers Ms. Janna Warren, Dr. Madeline Williamson, and Dr. Patricia Wood. LAMTA is a non-profit 501-(c-3) organization with the mission of furthering the art of music teaching and programs that encourage and support music study and appreciation for students and their community.

Keeping with the Beethoven 250th celebration, an additional recital of Beethoven piano works will be held April 19 on the campus. UNM-LA collaborates with the organization by hosting and sponsoring the Sunday Musicale Series. The campus Student Services Building is accessible either by stairs on the Diamond Drive entrance, or, is easily Wheelchair Accessible by parking in the parking lot behind the building.

For any further information about the program, call 505.929.4693 with a message.