Celebrate Piano Ensemble

Celebrate Piano Ensemble, an annual piano extravaganza returns to Peace United Church on Sunday, February 15 at 4:00 pm. The concert celebrates music for two pianos and for piano 4-hands, and includes a duet for piano and organ by Jesse McMilin that features the composer as performer. Performers include pianists Vlada Volkova-Moran, Susan Bruckner, Nicki Kerns, among several others. An arrangement of the Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernsteirn will include a quartet of singers in addition to the two pianos. The concert is an annual event presented by the Santa Cruz branch of Music Teachers’ Association of California in cooperation with Distinguished Artists Concert Foundation..

If you’d like to add your support, send a check to SCCMTAC, 131 Cave Gulch, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, or use PayPal at the button below:

President’s Note

Welcome to the Santa Cruz Branch of MTAC. We represent about 40 music teachers within Santa Cruz County who teach in local educational institutions and in private studios. We have served for many years as a beacon of music education within the local arts community.

There are local and state programs for member teachers and students. We have a large participation in the state Certificate of Merit program, providing a structure for learning music theory and performance. Locally, we have two scholarship programs which have an impact in our area.

The Talent Bank scholarships are merit based and have been a great incentive for students to improve their performance abilities. This program began in 1970 and has granted thousands of dollars over the past 50-plus years. Students are available to perform for retirement communities and service organizations in return for donations to the Talent Bank. They audition for scholarships in April, performing for invited adjudicators who are professional musicians.

Opportunity Grant scholarships serve low-income families who otherwise would not be able to finance music lessons. Recently, we have served families in the Pajaro region of Watsonville and a refugee family from Ukraine. Both of these scholarship programs depend on generous tax-deductible donations from the public.

Orchestral musicians gather in their free time to play chamber music. Pianists in our branch love to get together to play piano ensemble music. Member teachers and friends enjoy a wonderful comradery to prepare the annual piano extravaganza Celebrate Piano Ensemble. The event occurs in February and is a major supporter of our scholarships.

Roger Emanuels, President Santa Cruz Branch, Music Teachers’ Association of California