Click here for the Main Concert Series
Click here for "The Previews" Recitals

Trinity Lutheran Church

Manhattan Beach

Bach's Lunch

2010-2011 Recital Series

Dobson Organ, Opus 56
[Dobson Mechanical-Action Pipe Organ at Trinity Lutheran Church]

Free, Donations Welcome

Bach's Lunch recitals are half hour without intermissions. Lunch, with sandwiches made from special-order bakery bread and farmers-market-fresh produce, are available afterwards for $5, to enjoy at the Church with the artists or take back to the office in a box.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
1340 Eleventh Street
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
[Google Map]

For more information, call (310) 937-7275 or click here.

Past Seasons: [2000-2001] [2001-2002] [2002-2003]
[2003-2004] [2004-2005] [2005-2006] [2006-2007]
[2007-2008] [2008-2009] [2009-2010]

Friday, October 1, 2010 at 12:15 p.m.

Organist David York

DAVID YORK organ

A native of the Pacific Northwest, David York began piano studies at age 7, organ at age 12, and received his first job as a church organist at age 16. After graduating with honors from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, David completed a Master's Degree in Organ Performance at the University of Southern California. His teachers have included Edward A. Hansen and Ladd Thomas.

David has served as Director of Music at several churches in Southern California including First Presbyterian, San Pedro and St. Luke's Episcopal, Long Beach. He recently served as Interim Organist and Choir Director at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Los Angeles and is currently Interim Director of Music at Lutheran Church of the Master in Westwood. David is organist at Temple Israel in Long Beach and a Lecturer in Music on the faculty of the Bob Cole School of Music, California State University Long Beach.

Friday, November 5, 2010 at 12:15 p.m.

Susan Dietz, soprano

SUSAN DIETZ soprano
and
VICTORIA KIRSCH piano

Soprano Suan Dietz began winning classical vocal competitions at sixteen and singing professionally at 18. She has studied with Mady Mesple of the Paris Opera, Jean Gireaudeau of the Paris Opera Comique, James Miller from the University of Oregon as well as sopranos, Josephine Lott and Annette Warren Smith. She has sung with the San Francisco Opera, Orange County Opera, Long Beach Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, South Bay Master Choral, and the Oregon Bach Festival. Susan keeps busy with opera and oratorio work on the West Coast and has been the resident soloist at historic Wayfarers Chapel for 25 years.

Victoria Kirsch maintains a varied professional schedule that includes international performing, work with major and regional opera companies, including Los Angeles Opera, extensive audition playing (including Plácido Domingo's Operalia competition in 2000 and 2004 and, until 2003, the Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions), curates and performs a wide variety of vocal and chamber music programs throughout Southern California.

Friday, December 3, 2010 at 12:15 p.m.

TRE COLORE TRIO

Nora Chiang, piano Stirling Trent, violin Joo Lee, cello
    
NORA CHIANG piano                                       
STIRLING TRENT violin
                                 
JOO LEE cello

At the age of thirteen Nora Chiang was awarded a five-year scholarship to attend the pre-college division of the Juilliard School. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. Nora did graduate work at New England Conservatory and earned a Master of Music from USC. Nora Chiang is currently director of the Applied Music Program and teaches piano at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center and gives private piano instruction in her studio in Los Angeles.

Texas native Stirling Trent is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where he was a student of Itzhak Perlman. He is now a student of Midori Goto at the USC Thornton School, where he earned a Master's degree and is pursuing a doctorate. He has appeared in Live from Lincoln Center with Itzhak Perlman, as well as a series at Carnegie Hall in 2003 in which he was concertmaster of the New York String Orchestra under Jaime Laredo.

A native of Korea, Joo Lee came to the United States to study with John Walz at Idyllwild Arts Academy and was accepted to the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School. Ms. Lee earned her Bachelor's Degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and her Master's Degree at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she is currently pursuing her Doctorate under Ronald Leonard.

Friday, January 7, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

James Taulbee, organJAMES TAULBEE organ

Organist-Choirmaster James Taulbee graduated from Westminster Choir College with degrees in Church Music and Organ Performance. His organ teachers include Charlotte Atkinson, Catharine Crozier, Joan Lippincott, and Cherry Rhodes. Mr. Taulbee's formal studies include handbell directing, church music, and children's choirs. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Southern California. Mr. Taulbee has served as Organist-Choirmaster for five different churches in the Los Angeles area over the past 30 years.

Friday, February 4, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

Organist of Westwood Presbyterian Church

Namhee Han, organ

NAMHEE HANA native of South Korea, Namhee Han performs on the Southland's premier organs, including those at Saint James' in the City, First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, and Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. She was a featured artist at the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in 2004. Namhee earned a Master's and Doctoral degree in organ performance at UCLA studying with Christoph Bull. Namhee is Organist of Westwood Presbyterian Church.

Friday, March 4, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

"smooth, sinuous, and glowing with the requisite rich color." - Los Angeles Times

Douglas Masek, saxophone

DOUGLAS MASEK saxophone
and
BRYAN PEZZONE piano

Internationally renowned performer and teacher of the saxophone Douglas Masek is sought after by orchestras and concert series to perform concertos and solo recitals on stage throughout six continents. He has performed with notable conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kent Nagano, Placido Domingo, John Mauceri, Andre Previn, Leonard Slatkin, Jorge Mester, JoAnn Falletta, Boris Brott, and Grant Gershon, to name some. Having received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and his MM degree at Ohio State University, Dr. Masek completed his academic education with a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Southern California, where he taught from 1975-1995. Currently, he is Saxophone Professor at UCLA and California State Universities Long Beach and Northridge.

Bryan Pezzone, pianoPianist Bryan Pezzone is the consummate cross-over pianist who excels in classical, contemporary, jazz, and experimental genres and is well known to aficionados for his versatility and virtuosity as a collaborative pianist, recording and performing artist, improviser, and composer.

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

Millennia Consort

Millennia Consort

ALISON J. LUEDECKE organ
and
BEVERLY REESE DORCY percussion
plus
PRESIDIO BRASS
Bill Owens & Ray Nowak trumpets                   
Sean Reusch trombone                     
 Mike McCoy horn            
               
Scott Sutherland tuba

Members of the San Diego-based Millennia Consort have been seen with major symphony orchestras, including the London Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic; can be heard on soundtracks ranging from video games to major motion pictures; and have been educated at several of America's finest institutions, including the Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and USC. Organist and founder Alison Luedecke earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music.

Click to Listen to Promenade
from Pictures at an Exhibition

Friday, May 6, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

"with the purest tone, stunning technique, and the loveliness of unaffected confidence, Linda Wang demonstrated ... she is among the premier young violinists of the world" - Palos Verdes Peninsula News

Linda Wang, violin

LINDA WANG violin

Since her solo debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta at the age of nine, Juilliard- and USC-trained violinist Linda Wang has performed concertos with leading orchestras throughout the United States. In Europe, she has been the guest soloist with Sir Georg Solti and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, Paris Sinfonietta, Germany's Sächsische Kammerphilharmonie Dresden and Philharmonisches Orchester des Vogtland, and The Czech Republic's Southern Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she toured. In Asia, her appearances have included an enthusiastically received debut in Taipei and performances in China and with the Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra. Linda Wang's solo concerts have taken her to New York City's Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam's Beurs van Berlage and the Berlin Schauspielhaus. Ms. Wang serves on the faculty of University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 12:15 p.m.

New England Conservatory of Music Oboist

Martha Kleiner, oboe

MARTHA KLEINER oboe

ROSE CHEN piano

Martha Kleiner is completing her second year of study with John Ferrillo at the New England Conservatory of Music. While attending Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Martha studied oboe with Anne Marie Gabriele of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Martha has performed in Disney Hall with the Idyllwild Festival Winds and in Carnegie Hall with her high school orchestra, playing principal oboe and English horn. Martha has performed as oboe soloist with the South Bay Youth Orchestra, where she won its Concerto Competition in 2005 and 2006. She has also been a soloist with the Santa Monica College Orchestra, winning the Concerto Competition in 2006. She was principal oboist of the Southern California Honor Orchestra in 2006 and 2007. She has played with the Colburn Orchestra da Camera, where she has also been a soloist, Young Artists Orchestra at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, New England Conservatory Sinfonietta Orchestra, and the 2008 Festival Mozaic. Martha is a 2006 recipient of a Young Musicians Foundation Scholarship.

Aficionados will be delighted to hear that Martha will be joined by pianist Rose Chen, who is a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music. Rose earned her Doctorate at the USC Thornton School. A little-known secret is that Rose also plays the oboe.

Click here for the Main Concert Series
Click here for "The Previews" Recitals