Sunday Musicales

The Newport Beach Public Library hosts outstanding classical and instrumental music and performers throughout the year. The hour-long Sunday Musicales are held on Sundays at 3 p.m. in the Friends Room at the Central Library, 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach. If you missed a Sunday Musicale, you may be able to view it on NBTV streaming video.

Sunday, September 22: L.A. Classics & Pops Ensemble

The LA Classics & Pops Ensemble, featuring Cathleen Wong on flute; Scott Graham, double bass; John Ryskowski, drums; and Sonia Lee playing piano, will play a repertoire which elegantly infuses jazz and classical. The concert will showcase Claude Bolling’s First Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio. When first released in 1975, the album immediately hit the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Classical Charts, and remained there for an astounding total of 530 weeks.

Sunday, October 20: Swingin' with Dean Ratzman

Enjoy an afternoon with jazz musician Dean Ratzman as he performs on piano, trumpet, trombone, and sings hits from ‘40s swing, big band, jazz standards, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s jazz, blues, rock and soul. Dean’s a one-man band that will take you on a delightful musical journey down memory lane.

Sunday, November 17: Vieness, Piano Duo

Vieness, a piano duo featuring Vijay Venkatesh and Eva Schaumkell, enthralls audiences with their electric and captivating performances of a wide range of classical repertoire. Vieness will perform works by Schubert, Barber, Bach, Dvořák, and more.

Sunday, December 15: AlmaNova, Holiday Recital

The award-winning ensemble, AlmaNova, is an innovative flute and guitar duo presenting an eclectic program of chamber music. Flutist Jessica Pierce and guitarist Almer Imamovic are both masters of their instruments elevating the flute and guitar ensemble to the highest level of virtuosity and artistry. Their live performances are filled with energy and passion creating a “...graceful, intuitively choreographed display of seamless connection.” (Fresno Beehive). They will be performing a festive program of holiday favorites. This concert will feature unique and original arrangements of some of the time-honored Christmas classics. 

Sunday, January 12: Duo Art

Duo Art is a collaboration project of pianists Kookhee Hong and Minji Noh. Formed in 2014, they recently presented programs at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, Chapman University, Irvine Valley College and Chaffey College. While their collaboration is relatively new, they are already in demand as recitalists and will present an afternoon filled with an eclectic mix of music written for one piano, four hands.

Sunday, February 23: Susan Greenberg & Cristina Montes Mateo, Flute and Harp

As the 1st Prize winner in the XII Edition of the Torneo Internazionale di Musica (Rome, 2006), and the 1st Prize winner in the International Harp Competition V. Bucchi (2009), Cristina Montes Mateo is recognized internationally as one of the leading harpists of her generation. Flutist Susan Greenberg is a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, where she has been a frequent soloist on both flute and piccolo, and she enjoys a versatile career as soloist, chamber musician, symphony player, and recording artist. 

Sunday, March 22: Aristides Rivas, Cello

Aristides Rivas enjoys a versatile and international career as a multi-genre cellist, and was the principal cellist of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Rivas was nominated for the Grammys for best contemporary jazz album in 2010 as part of the Julian Lage Group recording of Sounding Point. He is a founding member of the fusion world music group Voci Angelica Trio with which he tours internationally and has recorded two albums. Rivas is also an active solo and chamber musician whose versatility in different music genres has brought him to some of the most prestigious international venues, including the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Music Festival, Tanglewood, Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, among others.

Sunday, April 19: Ryan Whyman, Piano

Ryan Whyman is a gifted pianist and composer with a diverse array of influences. At age 6 he began studying classical piano with world renowned Sofia Zukerman and developed a passion for improvisation from an early age. As Ryan grew older, his classical piano skills quickly expanded into the jazz realm, as well as the realms of pop, rock, and assorted other genres. Ryan's compositional skills go hand in hand with his improvisational abilities, as he possesses a never-ending stream of musical ideas at his fingertips.

Sunday, May 17: Agnes Székely Schwartz & Sonia Lee, Violin and Piano

A native of Hungary, violinist Ágnes Székely Schwartz has been the concertmaster of the Rio Hondo Symphony in Whittier since 2007, and has served as guest concertmaster for numerous opera and musical theatre companies, as well as professional, studio, and college orchestras in the Los Angeles area. Pianist Sonia Lee has given performances, talks and masterclasses in more than eighteen countries on four continents. Her performances have been praised by critics as "masterly" (Aliénor News & Notes) and "full of elegance and expression" (Cleveland Classical). Dances of Europe East and West: Music of Brahms, Albeniz, Bartok, Rimsky-Korsakov, and many more! A dynamic program of dance music such as tango, waltz, the Polish mazurka, and the Hungarian Csardas.

 

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Sunday Musicales at the Central Library are free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served, limited by room capacity of 200. Funding is graciously donated by the Friends of the Library. View the performance video archives.

Please note:  Our 2019-20 season has been set.  If you are a musician or part of an ensemble interested in performing in our 2020-21 season, please send bio information and performance video links to Terry Sanchez at tsanchez@newportbeachca.gov, or call (949) 717-3895 for questions.