Musical Happenings August 2021

Hello UUCC members and friends,

It’s been wonderful to see so many of you in our in-person services! Thanks to everyone who has attended our outdoor services and to all who have helped to sing and play on recent Sundays. Upcoming summer services will feature more music from our talented members and from some old and new musical friends, as well as from Karin Tooley and from me. Special musical guests coming up this month include:

August 1st: Anne and Steve Sanford with Mike Carney

August 8th: Alicia and Aaron Burkle with other special guests

August 15th: Ann Yu, violin with April Sun, piano (see below for more about April and Ann)

August 22nd: Karin Tooley

August 29th: Eldreth (Robert McDonald)

Come early to church on August 15th for a special musical treat!

On Sunday, August 15th, UUCC will host two special guest musicians, who will play during our outdoor service and also will play pre-service music beginning at 10:30 on the lawn. Our guests will be April Sun, piano and Ann Yu, violin. Here’s a little more information about April and Ann:

Boston-based pianist April Sun‘s imaginative, heartfelt, and spontaneous musicianship has brought her to various corners of the world. In New England, she performs with numerous chamber ensembles including the Meadowlark Trio, Phoenix: The Orchestra Reborn, and the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra. April has also collaborated with members of the Chiara Quartet, Escher Quartet, Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Her many wonderful mentors include Daniel Shapiro, Anita Pontremoli, Paul Barnes, Peter Salaff, Sharon Robinson, Hyeyung Yoon, Kim Kashkashian, Francesca Brittan, and Susan McClary. April received a DMA in collaborative piano, MM in piano performance, and a certificate in piano pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music, which honored her the 2018 Bennett Levine Chamber Music Award. Here is a sneak preview of April: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGOYM959JjI

Known for her “full-bodied, rich and warm tone” (Cleveland.com), twenty-two-year-old violinist Ann Yu has captivated audiences with her beautiful sound, sensitive musicality, and heartfelt performances, drawing inspiration from her faith and her surroundings. A native of Hudson, Ohio, Ann’s musical presence is well-known throughout the greater Northeast Ohio region as she performs in solo and chamber performances throughout the community, participates in the Cleveland Institute of Music’s intensive chamber music programs, and regularly performs with local orchestras. Festival engagements include the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra-USA, the Foulger International Music Festival, and the Credo Chamber Music Festival. She has soloed with the CIM Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and will solo once again with the CIM Orchestra as a Fall 2018 Concerto Competition winner. Ms. Yu is currently pursuing her master’s degree in violin performance studying with Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she also received her bachelor’s degree studying with William Preucil and Jaime Laredo. Her passion and interest is in chamber music and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which she hopes to pursue professionally. Besides music, Ann loves exploring the outdoors, playing soccer, cooking, and reading fashion, interior design, and food blogs. Here is a sneak preview of Ann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxI0qr0gcUo

I hope you all have a healthy and happy August and I look forward to seeing you at church!

In peace,
Mike
Michael Carney
Music Director, UU Congregation of Cleveland