From left, pianist Neil Di Maggio, flutist Andrea Di Maggio and French hornist John Mason will perform during a free Santa Barbara Music Club concert May 7.
The Santa Barbara Music Club will present a free concert at 3 p.m. May 7 at the First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.
The husband-and-wife team of Andrea and Neil Di Maggio will play a variety of music for flute and piano. The concert will open with two highly contrasting works by French composers: the elegant Sonata in E Minor, Opus 58, No. 5 by Françoise Devienne and the sparkling Sonatine by Pierre Sancan. They will then be joined by French hornist John Mason in American composer Eric Ewazen’s Ballade, Pastorale and Dance (2002).
The concert will close with the Fugue from Variations on a Theme of Handel, Opus 24 by Johannes Brahms.
Flutist Andrea Di Maggio is in demand as both performer and teacher. She graduated from San Jose State University, summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s in music performance, where she studied with Paris Conservatory flutist Isabelle Chapuis. Ms. Di Maggio was granted a teaching position at Arizona State University, and while completing her freshman year of graduate school, she taught undergraduate flute majors, implemented and taught a flute course to music education students, and performed in faculty recitals.
She then transferred to UCSB to study with Jill Felber, and graduated with honors with a master’s in flute performance. While a UCSB graduate student, she was the recipient of awards from the Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara Music Club and Léni Fé Bland Foundation.
Mrs. Di Maggio performs in solo and chamber music recitals and is a founding member of Sonos Montecito, the woodwind quintet-in-residence at Westmont College, where she has been a flute instructor since 2012.
She also maintains a private flute studio, with students winning awards from the Santa Barbara Music Club, Music Teachers Association of California and the National Flute Association.
Mrs. Di Maggio performs on a silver Miyazawa Boston Classic flute with gold and platinum headjoint.
Mrs. Di Maggio’s husband, pianist Neil Di Maggio, enjoys a dual career as both soloist and collaborative pianist and as researcher for Westmont College.
Mr. Di Maggio received his bachelor’s in music, summa cum laude from San Jose State University and his master’s in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
He earned his second master’s in music degree, in collaborative piano, from UCSB, where he studied with renowned collaborative artist Anne Epperson. Other influential teachers have been pianists Yael Weiss and Betty Oberacker and harpsichordist Laurette Goldberg.
Currently director of research and prospect management at Westmont College, Mr. Di Maggio also maintains a piano studio, and his students have been award winners with the Santa Barbara Music Club and the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation competitions.
His collaborative projects have included Opera Santa Barbara, UCSB, Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus, Westmont College, and many private instrumental and vocal studios. Together with Mrs. Di Maggio, Mr. Di Maggio has enjoyed assisting local nonprofits by performing benefit recitals for such organizations as Artios Academies, Network Medical and Royal Family Kids.
John Mason, who plays the French horn, is a freelance musician in the greater Los Angeles area, and records for motion pictures and television. His most recent work includes John Williams’ music for “Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi” (2017), “Geostorm” and various Marvel movie and TV projects, as well as The Black Eyed Peas; upcoming album.
Mr. Mason also performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Opera and Santa Barbara Symphony, and is principal hornist of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.
In accordance with public health guidelines, all people attending the concert, including children under age 12, must show proof of full vaccination, with the final COVID-19 vaccine dose administered at least 14 days prior to the concert date, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival. Masks are required, and must cover both nose and mouth. Social distancing is required.
For more information, go to sbmusicclub.org.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
