Credit: ZALON logo by Mia Bosna
Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 7:30 PM EDT (Philadelphia, USA: GMT-4)
December 20th Holiday ZALON Program
Paul Fejko will perform festive sounds from Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church in Philadelphia using its historic (1903) pipe organ
Bergmann Duo: Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann will perform “La Fiesta” by Chick Corea (arr. M. Bergmann) and “Fast Lane” by Marcel Bergmann from their home studio in White Rock/Vancouver, Canada
Nina Grae, vocalist/guitarist will perform her original acoustic soul: “May I See Love” and “Digital Detox” from her home studio in Los Angeles
Audrey Yoder, soprano and Aaron Blake, tenor will perform classical selections from Mozart to Clearfield from their homes in Los Angeles
Violinist Mitchell Newman will perform from his home in Roxborough, PA: Bach's E Major Partita (Prelude) and Kreisler's Recitativo and Scherzo
Magdaliz Roura will perform Christmas, and non-Christmas, selections from Latin America and the Caribbean from her home in Philadelphia
Tom Begich (singer/songwriter/poet) performs original works with Sarah Sledge (vocals) from their home in Alaska
Oakes & Smith Duo (Robert Oakes and Katherine Smith) with Justin Green perform gentle folk songs in close harmony from their home in Western Massachusetts
John Conahan, composer, vocalist and pianist will perform a surprise group of holiday festivities from his home in Fort Washington, PA
Performer Bios, Program Information, and Link for Donations
Below you will find links that some of the performers have included where you can buy music and other merchandise, find additional content, or make a donation. Please consider supporting these musicians for donating their time and artistry this evening!
During these trying times for performers, your contributions are greatly appreciated.
For donations please click here, where you could contribute to the most current performance. To donate to specific performers, please see the links under their bios for the Zalon in which they performed.
Donations for the current Zalon will be collected on behalf of all performers by our fiscal sponsor, Crossroads Music. For questions about donations, please contact Gerardo Razumney at Zalon.Donations@AOL.com.
The Zalon is a labor of love. All team members are volunteering their time, including Andrea, who is also covering expenses. You may contribute to cover part of the Zalon expenses, by indicating this on the PayPal donation form.
Paul Fejko
Composer/Conductor/Keyboardist Paul Fejko lives locally at his performance space in Chester, PA known as The André Café Acoustique from where he has been giving regular 1/2 hour FaceBook LIVE (facebook.com/paul.fejko) Covid Sequestration and Semisequestration MiniConzerts every Friday at 9pm EST since this Covid Voyage began in March. He is music director of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church, a musician with the Muhlenberg College school of Theatre and Dance, and founder of the Chester Performing Arts Project. His specialty is provoking and challenging audiences with an unpredictable, eclectic and capricious approach to both classical repertoire and improvisation.
Much information can be found at www.fejko.com and www.ande-cafe.com where also donation (enormously appreciated!!) links can be found. A lot more of his work can be found at soundcloud.com/paulfejko, youtube.com/paulfejko and youtube.com/andrecafeacoustique.
Donate directly here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=UQF7EPPDUT83S
Bergmann Piano Duo (Elizabeth & Marcel Bergmann)
The Bergmann Duo’s dynamic and energetic performances of uniquely eclectic programs, which include numerous original arrangements and compositions, have inspired audiences internationally. They have performed in concert and with orchestras in: Canada, the USA, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, France, Macedonia, Greece and China. The duo has appeared at the: Festival of the Sound, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Abbey Bach Festival,Tuckamore Festival, Ohrid Summer Festival, Zodiac Festival, San Francisco International Music Festival, MusicFest Vancouver, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Banff Arts Festival, Royal Bank Calgary International Organ Festival and Competition, Festival Miami, Tage für Neue Musik, Darmstadt, Braunschweiger Kammermusik Podium, and EXPO 2000, Hannover. They have made recordings for the CBC, ARD (in Germany) and for National Public Radio and have recorded several CDs (CordAria, Arktos, Koch International Classics, Naxos, ARS and Brilliant Classics labels). The married couple received first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta, Italy, were laureates of The 4th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and have performed extensively in Germany as members of the young artists’ roster of Yehudi Menuhin-Live Music Now.
The duo studied with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover and with Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt at the Université de Montréal. Elizabeth is Artistic Director of Concerts and Marcel is Composer in Residence at the Langley Community Music School and both are Artistic Directors of White Rock Concerts.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/bergmannduo
https://www.facebook.com/bergmannpianoduo/
https://soundcloud.com/bergmannduo
https://twitter.com/Bergmannduo
Nina Grae
Nina Grae, a California-native, is a singer-songwriter, producer, and creative group facilitator using music and multi-media works to honor the spirit of love in all forms. Grae’s fusion of acoustic soul music with folk stylings has struck a chord with listeners worldwide, with themes of unity and compassion weaving throughout her works. Grae has opened up events for spiritual teachers Rev. Michael Beckwith and Marianne Williamson, poet In-Q and conservationist Jane Goodall with her original work. With over 150 original music videos in her digital medicinal music cabinet, Grae is currently working on her 4th studio album release and 2nd solo album for fall 2021.
The best way to support is to become a Patreon for $8/mo: https://www.patreon.com/ninagraexo
Direct Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ninagrae
Website: www.ninagrae.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninagrae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninagraexo/
Audrey Yoder
Soprano Audrey Yoder, hailed for her “attractive timbre and laudable musicianship” (Opera Today), is a “dramatically engaging singing actress who shows great vocal flexibility.” (Broadway World) In November Ms. Yoder appeared as Climene and Euterpe in Pacific Opera Project (POP)'s double-bill drive in production of Gluck’s La Corona and Il Parnaso Confuso.
This December she can be seen in the virtual release of Suor Angelica produced by Opera San Luis Obispo, VOPA, and Mission Opera. Future engagements include the virtual world premiere of Lisa Neher's one-woman, micro-opera Par for the Course as Babe Zaharias, and the US staged premiere of Vivaldi's Ercole su'l Termodonte as Orizia with POP.
A frequent performer with Opera Santa Barbara, Ms. Yoder has appeared as Bard and Siren (Odyssey) and Ruth Putnam (The Crucible) in their previous staged season. Highlighted roles include Juliette (Romeo et Juliette), Gretel (Hansel und Gretel), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice), Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw), and Antonia (Les contes d'Hoffmann).
Audrey’s links -
Website: https://audreyyodersoprano.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soperantics/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audrey.yoder.90
Aaron Blake
Photo by Matt Madison Clark
The recipient of a 2017 George London Foundation Award, tenor Aaron Blake has earned international recognition for his creation of the role of Timothy Laughlin in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers. Mr. Blake recently made a critically acclaimed debut with the New York City Opera in Peter Eötvös’ operatic adaptation of Angels in America. Praised by the New York Times for his “youthful fervor and endearing sweet sound” the tenor has found a musical home in a variety of repertoire.
2019/20 Season engagements for Mr. Blake include his German and European debut as Michel in Bohuslav Martinu’s JULIETTA with Oper Frankfurt a return to the Metropolitan Opera as The High Priest of Amon in Philip Glass’s Akhnaten. He will make his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut with the LA Symphony in a concert of Duets and Arias with soprano Stefania Dovhan and later in the season return with the LA Symphony to The Cerritos Performing Arts Center for a concert of Holiday Favorites and Arias. He will make his Israeli National Opera debut as Il conte Almaviva in Barber of Seville as well as his debut with Opéra de Montréal as Tamino.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tenorblake/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tenorblake/?hl=en
Mitchell Newman
Violinist Mitchell Newman is a native of Los Angeles and joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1987. After studies with Philharmonic violist David Stockhammer he attended the Curtis Institute of Music studying with David Cerone, Yumi Ninomiya and Aaron Rosand.
Mr. Newman is a regular participant on the LA Phil’s Chamber Music and Green Umbrella Series. He has had the opportunity to play the Mendelssohn Octet with Joshua Bell and the Thomas Ades Piano Quintet with the composer playing piano. Mr. Newman can be heard on Grammy-winning Southwest Chamber Music’s recording of the 1st and 3rd String Quartets of Carlos Chavez. He has also recorded the music of Eric Zeisl for Harmonia Mundi and Stories from My Life by Los Angeles composer Russell Steinberg. In recognition of his producing fundraising chamber music concerts for Mental Health America Long Beach he was named a Mental Health Hero by the California State Senate in 2010
Currently, Mr. Newman teaches privately and teaches an orchestra repertoire class for violinists at The Curtis Institute of Music. Each year he produces a concert for the Los Angeles Philharmonic featuring YOLA students and Philharmonic members playing together. He also is a volunteer for People Assisting the Homeless and Street Symphony and Street Symphony, scheduling small ensemble concerts at apartment buildings run by PATH in a series called Coming Home to Music. He is thrilled to have found and encouraged musical talent in the PATH community and has performed music by its residents. He also travels occasionally to work with young people at the Benning Academy, a program providing instruments and lessons to children of all backgrounds in Ensenada and Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Mr. Newman plays an Eric Benning violin made in 2016. He lives with his wife, Tricia and their crazy Border Collie, Reese.
Magdaliz Roura
Magdaliz Roura is the co-founder, manager, guitarist, and lead singer of the Latin Ensemble “Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol” (a.k.a. Trio Crisol). Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from an early age, she showed a talent for music by singing, playing instruments by ear, and improvising. She has performed with many and varied musical ensembles, and choirs, in Puerto Rico and the USA.
After obtaining her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, she moved to Philadelphia in 1994 to obtain a M.A. in Music Therapy where she has been living, working, and performing since. Some of the many “many hats” she has worn are musician, music therapist, Spanish teacher, dancer, licensed medical interpreter trainer, certified medical Spanish interpreter in the hospitals, and certified Spanish court interpreter. She has also volunteered for different entities that cater to the Latin community. You can see her perform as a soloist, with her ensemble “Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol”, or as guest artist with other ensembles.
You can support this artist electronically (internet or phone apps) via PayPal, Venmo, or Cash using her phone number 215-205-7692.
You can email her if you are interested in buying her Latin Trio CD “Songs from the New World” for $10.
Social media links:
YouTube: youtube.com/TrioCrisol
FaceBook: facebook.com/TrioCrisol
Instagram: instagram.com/TrioCrisol
Twitter: twitter.com/TrioCrisol
Webpage: triocrisol.com
Hashtag: #triocrisol
Tom Begich
Tom Begich is a traveling acoustic musician and poet who performs his original music and the occasional poem around the country with his wife, Sarah Sledge. An evening with Tom and Sarah features rich songwriting, storytelling, superb harmony, and a journey down the many roads we have all travelled. Tom has released five CDs of his original music, a compilation CD of original spoken word and music with Santa Fe and Boston-based poet and performer Tim Mason, and has published a book of sonnets: Six Truths. He has recently completed a new book length poem entitled “Constitution” parts of which were first heard at Andrea’s Salon in Philadelphia.
Tom also serves as Minority Leader of the Alaska State Senate, runs a small communications and strategic planning agency, and has been a licensed private detective, while Sarah is the executive director of an education non-profit focused on improving education outcomes for Alaska’s school districts, and has developed SeraVino, a popup restaurant that she hopes will be back post COVID! Tom has, until this foreshortened year, built his Fall tour around performance at the Salon since 2009
Oakes & Smith Duo
From their home in Western Massachusetts, Oakes and Smith will perform gentle folk songs in close harmony, accompanied by friend and housemate Justin Green playing harmonium, piano, percussion with vocals. Oakes and Smith are a husband-and-wife folk duo with an ethereal sound and sensibility not often heard in today’s popular music. With soulful songs with voices in close harmony, Robert and Katherine hope to inspire listeners and remind them that peace, sincerity, and beauty are still very much alive in the world.
Find us online at: www.oakesandsmith.net. Our music is available for purchase at oakesandsmith.bandcamp.com. Donations may be made via PayPal to roberteoakes@gmail.com
John Conahan
John Conahan is a Composer, Conductor, Performer, and Educator whose works have been premiered by an array of artists including Lorin Maazel, Marin Alsop, Denyce Graves, The Crossing, Deborah Voigt, and Sir James Galway. He is currently recording new albums piano improvisations, singer/songwriter material, and contemporary classical works. On New Year's Eve, his works will be performed on a new PBS special featuring Joshua Bell, Audra MacDonald, Renee Fleming, and Denyce Graves.
www.youtube.com/johnconahanmusic
www.instagram.com/johnconahan_
A special thank you to our wonderful Tech Team!! Thank you for volunteering your time.
Learn more about them on our Team Page.