Salonline 2024-07-28 Maureen Walsh & Luke Ratcliffe

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Sunday, July 28 2024

— a “hybrid” event —

Saxophone

Piano

Created by a Belgian instrument maker, the newly-made saxophone found its first home in France in the 1840s. The very first pieces for the saxophone were written by French composers and to this day the saxophone has a solid presence within French music. Classical saxophonist Maureen Walsh will be performing charming arranged works such as Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, the Oboe Sonata by Saint-Saens and Pièce en forme de Habañera by Ravel. Come spend an evening immersed in the gentler side of the saxophone!

PROGRAM

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) “Pièce en forme de Habañera”
     1. La Meneuse de Tortues d’or (The Leader of the Golden Turtles)
     2. Le Petit Âne Blanc (The Little White Donkey)
     3. Le Vieux Mendiant (The Old Beggar)
     7. Bajo la Mesa (Under the Table)
     8. La Cage de Cristal (The Crystal Cage)
     9. La Marchande d’eau Frâiche (The Fresh Water Seller)

Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) “14 Pieces for Flute and Piano”
(arr. For soprano sax)
     1. Vielle Chanson (Old Song)
     2. Gai, Assez Anime
     3. Andante Espressivo
     4. Moderato con Moto
     5. Allegro Moderato
     6. Andante quasi Adagio
   7. Beau Soir (Beautiful Night)
     8. Andantino
     9. Allegretto con Moto
    10. Allegretto quasi Andantino
    11. Allegretto
    12. Danse Printaniere (Spring Dance)
    13. March Funebre (Funeral March)
    14. Allegro Moderato

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) “Oboe Sonata”, Op. 166
(arr. For soprano sax)
     1. Andantino
     2. Allegretto
     3. Molto Allegro

Claude Debussy (1862-1918) “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune”
(Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun) 

BIOGRAPHY

The Washington Post has described Maureen Walsh as bringing “consummate skill and interpretative sensitivity to the Schmitt, capturing every ounce of its dusky innuendos and mystical exoticism” after a performance with the National Symphony Orchestra. Miss Walsh was a prizewinner of the NSO young soloist competition as well as the Harold Randolf Prize and the Baltimore Music Club competition. In June of 2022 she released a video album featuring her own arrangements of opera fantasy suites along with original illustrations.

Miss Walsh has taken the saxophone from Alaska to Thailand with a blend of classical and contemporary programing which often features a visual element to enhance the experience. In addition to solo recitals, she performs with the Capital Wind Symphony under George Etheridge and the saxophone ensemble Le Revenant.

Miss Walsh studied at the Peabody Conservatory with Gary Louie and received 3 degrees there including a masters. She also studied with the iconic Donald Sinta at the University of Michigan. Currently, she maintains a private studio in Silver Spring, MD with in person and online students from all over the country. To reach younger saxophone students she is developing the Suzuki method for modified reeded recorders in order to introduce the classical saxophone at an earlier age.

Dr. Luke Alexander Ratcliffe is an acclaimed concert pianist, composer, collaborator and teacher. As an Armenian-American pianist, his cultural heritage and unique interpretational style transcend into profound insight of piano literature, delivering highly captivating performances.  

Luke’s vast repertoire and passion for sharing music has taken him through national and international concerts. His repertoire includes music from classical canons to lesser-known composers and new music, for which he advocates beautifully. Luke is actively involved in lectures, compositions, transcriptions and other such projects. 

Dr.Ratcliffe taught piano and music theory to students and completed his Doctoral degree in Piano Performance with a concentration in Piano Pedagogy at the Cleveland Institute of Music, under the mentorship of world renowned artist, Antonio Pompa-Baldi.​

Currently, Dr.Ratcliffe teaches individual and group piano lessons, giving master classes, and collaborates with global musicians at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. He has an actively growing private music studio in Northern Virginia.

When not busy teaching or performing piano, Luke is an avid reader, loves studying history and languages, and enjoys the outdoors. Learn more about Luke on his website.


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