Santa Barbara Music Club Free Concert

The Santa Barbara Music Club presents a program of beautiful classical music performed by renowned artists on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu. Andrea and Neil Di Maggio will perform a splendid variety of music for flute and piano:  the concert opens with two highly contrasting works by French composers:  the elegant Sonata in E minor, Op. 58, No. 5 by Françoise Devienne and the sparkling Sonatine by Pierre Sancan.  They will then be joined by French hornist John Mason in American composer Eric Ewazen’s fascinating Ballade, Pastorale and Dance (2002), and the concert will close with the brilliant Fugue from Variations on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24 by Johannes Brahms.  Admission is free.

Andrea Di Maggio, flutist, has been praised for her “stellar playing and social grace” by the Santa Barbara Independent and is in demand as both performer and teacher.  She graduated from San Jose State University, summa cum laude, with a BM Degree in Music Performance, where she studied with Paris Conservatory flutist Isabelle Chapuis.  Andrea was granted a teaching position at Arizona State University, and while completing her freshman year of graduate school she taught undergraduate flute majors, implemented and taught a flute course to music education students, and performed in faculty recitals. She then transferred to UCSB to study with Jill Felber, and graduated with honors with a MM Degree in Flute Performance.  While a UCSB graduate student, she was the recipient of awards from the Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara Music Club, and Léni Fé Bland Foundation.  Andrea performs in solo and chamber music recitals and is a founding member of “Sonos Montecito,” the Woodwind Quintet-in-Residence at Westmont College, where she has been Flute Instructor since 2012.  She also maintains a private flute studio, with students winning awards from the Santa Barbara Music Club, Music Teachers Association of California, and the National Flute Association.  Andrea performs on a silver Miyazawa Boston Classic flute with gold and platinum headjoint.

Neil Di Maggio, pianist, enjoys a dual career as both soloist and collaborative pianist and as researcher for Westmont College, and he has been praised by the Santa Barbara Independent: “Neil Di Maggio gave a brilliant display in his performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Santa Barbara Master Chorale.”  Neil received his BM Degree summa cum laude from San Jose State University and his MM Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  He received his second MM Degree, in Collaborative Piano, from UCSB, where he studied with renowned collaborative artist Anne Epperson; other influential teachers have been pianists Yael Weiss and Betty Oberacker and harpsichordist Laurette Goldberg.  Currently Director of Research and Prospect Management at Westmont College, Neil also maintains a piano studio, and his students have been award winners with the Santa Barbara Music Club and the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation competitions. His collaborative projects have included Opera Santa Barbara, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus, Westmont College, and many private instrumental and vocal studios. Together with his flutist wife, Andrea, Neil has enjoyed assisting local non-profits by performing benefit recitals for such organizations as Artios Academies, Network Medical and Royal Family Kids.

John Mason, French horn, is a freelance musician in the greater Los Angeles area, and records for motion pictures and television.  His most recent work includes John Williams:  Star Wars Episode VIII, Geostorm, and various Marvel Movie and TV projects, and The Black Eyed Peas upcoming album.  John also performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Opera and Santa Barbara Symphony, and is Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Santa Barbara Music Club concerts display a wonderful diversity of historical musical periods and compositional styles, including beloved masterworks and exciting new and seldom-heard repertoire.  Of the series, the Santa Barbara Independent exclaimed:  “A beautiful day, a beautiful room, beautiful music … who could ask for more?” and Gerald Carpenter in Noozhawk.com declared, “Every Santa Barbara Music Club concert that I have ever attended has been a sensory joy as well as a consciousness expansion.”

A valued cultural resource in the community since 1969, the Music Club’s mission is threefold:

(1) Presentation of an annual series of concerts, free to the public.

(2) Aiding and encouraging musical education by the disbursement of scholarships to talented local music students.

(3) Presentation of community outreach activities, including bringing great music to residents of area retirement homes.

For information on this or other Santa Barbara Music Club programs and performing artists, visit SBMusicClub.org.

For the health and safety of our audience and performers: 

In accordance with public health guidelines, all patrons, including children under the age of 12, must show proof of full vaccination (final COVID-19 vaccine dose administered at least 14 days prior to the concert date) or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival.  Masks are required, and must cover both nose and mouth.  Social distancing is required.