Joanna Jenner is a long time member of the world famous Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and has taught at Westchester Conservatory for three years. Joanna Jenner says "This concert is a reunion of the three of us, a celebration of many years of friendship. We originally met at the Grand Tetons Music Festival and as a trio have performed together in New York, Alaska, and  Vermont. The program is mix of Jon Deak, Mozart, and several short salon pieces. Some familiar favorites are included: Mozart's late sonata for violin and piano in A major, K. 525, and Fritz Kreisler arrangement of Manuel de Falla's Danse Espagnole.

Composer Jon Deak is the  associate principal bassist with the New York Philharmonic.  Pianist Zeyda Ruga Suzuki has performed world wide as soloist and chamber musician. (I remember when an Orpheus tour to Japan overlapped with her concerts there and we had a chance to catch up on our globe-trotting adventures.)

We are focusing on Jon Deak's work in honor of his  workshop at the Conservatory on Saturday, February 27; he has gained great success in his unique educational efforts on behalf of young composers Also we love playing his music and audience of all ages enjoy it! Mr. Deak will perform a solo of his own, B. B. Wolf, that engages the audience through music, speech and a little acting. It is always a howling success! The final piece on the program, The Wager at the Eldorado Saloon, is a work of Jon Deak's that was commissioned by the people of Homer, Alaska and premiered by us there. Jon was inspired by Jack London's  Call of the Wild,  a novel set in Alaska during the Gold Rush. In his inimitable style using  music, words, and sound effects,  Jon capture's the braggadocio of desperate gold miners, the heroism of a sled dog, and the honky tonk atmosphere of a saloon. Since its premiere in 1994 it has been played around the world, most notably in the MIddle East with Apple Hill Chamber Players "Playing for Peace" program. Jon Deak's compositions have lead to Pulitzer Prize nominations, commissions and premieres by The New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and numerous chamber music groups and festivals.

Zeyda Ruga Suzuki and Joanna Jenner will offer other works by Mozart, Chopin and four works for violin and piano by  Fritz Kreisler, including his arrangement of pieces by Bach, de Falla, Brahms, and one of his original compositions. Zeyda Ruga Suzuki was born in Cuba and will be featured in two piano solos including The Danza Cubano, by Raphael Vega Caso. The Danza is  a typical example of the Cuban Dance genre (begun by Manuel Cervantes) and it is called "Zeyda". Zeyda recalls: " Rafael Vega Caso, Cuban operatic composer who studied both in the island and at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid where he obtained "el Primer Premio" in piano and composition, dedicated it to me, but never wrote it.  He made me write it as he played it for me and my family.  I was around 9-10 years old. It's in the key of A flat major."