Flutist, pianist, horn player will perform at the music club concert

The Santa Barbara Music Club will present a free concert at 3 p.m. on May 7you the First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.

The husband and wife team of Andrea and Neil Di Maggio will perform a variety of music for flute and piano. The concert will open with two very contrasting works by French composers: the elegant Sonata in E minor, Opus 58, n° 5 by Françoise Devienne and the sparkling Sonatine by Pierre Sancan. They will then be joined by French horn player John Mason in Ballade, pastorale et danse (2002) by American composer Eric Ewazen.

The concert will close with the Fugue from Variations on a Theme by Handel, Opus 24 by Johannes Brahms.

Flutist Andrea Di Maggio is sought after both as a performer and a teacher. She graduated from San Jose State University, summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in music performance, where she studied with Paris Conservatory flautist Isabelle Chapuis. Ms. Di Maggio obtained a teaching position at Arizona State University, and while completing her freshman year of graduate school 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 degree in flute performance. While a graduate student at UCSB, she received awards from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Santa Barbara Music Club, and the Léni Fé Bland Foundation.

Ms. Di Maggio performs solo and in chamber music recitals and is a founding member of Sonos Montecito, the wind quintet in residence at Westmont College, where she has been a flute teacher since 2012.

She also runs a private flute studio, with award-winning students from the Santa Barbara Music Club, the Music Teachers Association of California, and the National Flute Association.

Ms. Di Maggio plays a silver Miyazawa Boston Classic flute with gold and platinum headstock.

Mrs. Di Maggio’s husband, pianist Neil Di Maggio, enjoys a dual career as a soloist and collaborating pianist and researcher at Westmont College.

Mr. Di Maggio received his Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from San Jose State University and his Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

He earned his second Masters of Music, Collaborative Piano, from UCSB, where he studied with renowned collaborative artist Anne Epperson. Other influential teachers were pianists Yael Weiss and Betty Oberacker and harpsichordist Laurette Goldberg.

Currently Director of Research and Lead Management at Westmont College, Mr. Di Maggio also owns a piano studio, and his students have been winners of Santa Barbara Music Club and Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation competitions.

His collaborative projects include Opera Santa Barbara, UCSB, Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus, Westmont College and numerous private instrumental and vocal studios. Along with Ms. Di Maggio, Mr. Di Maggio enjoyed helping local non-profit organizations by giving benefit recitals for organizations such 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 film and television. His most recent work includes music for John Williams for “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017), “Geostorm” and various Marvel film and television 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 the principal horn player of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.

In accordance with public health guidelines, all concert attendees, including children under 12, must present proof of full vaccination, with the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered at least 14 days prior to the date of the concert. concert, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival. Masks are compulsory and must cover both the nose and the mouth. Social distancing is required.

For more information, visit sbmusicclub.org.

Email: kzehnder@newspress.com