December 2023 News Update

Dec. 21, 2023

Dear Members of the Woodbridge Music Club,

The Christmas party at Paul and Elaine Brady’s home was a great success, as always . The food, the comradery, the conversations, and the performances by members were all wonderful. Thanks to all for preparing your delicious home-made delicacies for the party and for performing.

The performances by members were both fun and entertaining. June and Jane began with a duet rendition of Sleighbells. Soo Cho then performed a lovely Nocturne by Chopin. Next, Lana played two lovely and relaxing piano pieces. Following Lana, I sang O Magnum Mysterium, accompanied by June. Next, Debora sang a lovely vocal solo, accompanied by Elaine. Following Debora’s solo, Paul and Elaine played the same duet arrangement of Sleighbells that June and Jane had played earlier, and then played a lively duet arrangement of Jingle Bells. The evening’s performances concluded with June and Jane on one piano, and Paul and Elaine on another piano, playing the same Sleighbells duet they had played earlier, but this time, on two pianos, four hands. We all enjoyed performing and listening to our colleagues perform.

After a wonderful meal, all of us sat around the dinner table, and enjoyed more than an hour of wonderful and lively conversation. This was a great chance to catch up and to get to know one another better.

In other news, there will be no Zoom meeting in December, as several of us are a bit under the weather and since there is no pressing new news (and besides, we are all terribly busy around this time, and several of us will be out of town.)

I hope you can all attend Faith Zuniga’s piano concert, which will be on January 27 (2024). A flyer containing details is attached. Thank you, Faith, for what I know will be a wonderful recital!

Wishing all of you merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Dr. Robert Vernon Shuffett
President, Woodbridge Music Club

 

2023 Kiki Thomaidis Piano Competition

Mar. 15, 2023

 Students  Teachers

 

The 2023 Kiki Thomaidis Piano Competition was held on March 4, and was a great success, as usual. The “Kiki Winners Recital” took place on March 5, and featured impressive performances by all fifteen of the winners. Many thanks, as always, go to Irene Roberts, the daughter of Tiki Thomaidis, for her continued generosity in funding this competition (Irene was unable to be present, due to a schedule conflict). Congratulations go to the fifteen winning contestants, along with our appreciation for all participants. The program of the Kiki Winners' Recital, photos of the student winners and their teachers are attached. As always, special thanks go to Rudene and her sister Tanya for all of the hard work they do for our student recitals. View the program (PDF)



Winter 2023 Recitals Update

Feb. 15, 2023

Students gathered on February 11 to demonstrate their talent during our Winter Student Recitals.

 

 Winter 2023 Recitals Update

WMC Hosts Successful December Benefit Concert

Dec. 12, 2022

Natalia and Oksana’s benefit concert yesterday (Saturday, December 10) was both fun and exciting. Everything on the program (including the world-premiere my very difficult piece, "Journey into Destiny: Homage to Ukraine in Time of War”) was performed exceptionally well. It was an outstanding concert. (We are fortunate to have these two fine Ukrainian pianists in our club.)

The generosity of those in attendance was very impressive: a total of $1,831.00 (!!!) was donated. Our sincere thanks go out to all who gave so generously. One-hundred percent of these donations will be used to aid Ukrainians suffering as a result of Vladimir Putin's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine; food, shelter, medicine, water, heating, transportation, etc. will be provided to those in need because of the war. Parenthetically, our club has now sponsored three benefit recitals for Ukraine, in which a total of nearly $3,600.00 (!!!) have been donated. If the war continues (as we fear it will), God willing, our club will be sponsoring additional benefit concerts in the future.

 

June 2022 News Update