Sunday Soloist for September 27

This Sunday we welcome Clarinetist Michael J. Maccaferri as our soloist. Read more about him below.

Clarinetist and bass clarinetist Michael J. Maccaferri is a founding member of the Grammy Award winning new music ensemble eighth blackbird, one of the leading commissioners and performers of new music today. With eighth blackbird Michael has performed as soloist with leading orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony, and at major venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Barbican, Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center. Michael also currently serves as bass clarinetist with the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and is a D’Addario Woodwinds artist.

Redidicating the Nursery on Rally Day!

As part of our return to indoor worship last Sunday, September 20 for Rally Day, Pastor Beth Dickerson included a rededication of the nursery after it's summer redecoration. Special thanks to Kathy Rodriguez, Ruth Rodriguez, Ann Ridge, and Jurek Polanski for their work. Scott Beaderstadt has begun his work on the mural. We will be sure to post pictures of that when it is completed.

This Sunday's Soloist - Maria Schwartz-Basile

Maria Schwartz-Basile has been captivated by the flute since she was eight. She earned degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Crane School of Music and currently performs with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and New Philharmonic. In addition to teaching at St. Edward School and DePaul's Community Music, Maria's flute studio in the Old Irving Park neighborhood accepts all ages and abilities.

Rally Day's Featured Soloist

This Sunday, the special music in our service will be provided by Dan O'Connell. Read his bio below:

Dan O'Connell (horn) - is the horn instructor at North Central College, maintains a private studio, is on the faculty at The Merit School of Music and has taught at the Birch Creek Music Center.  As a performer, he has played with most of the Chicago area’s great orchestras and ensembles.  He received a BM from The New England Conservatory, an MM from DePaul University, and was a member of The New World Symphony.

Greetings from Yasuko Oura, Interim Music Director

It is such an honor to be named the interim music director here at Bethany United Church of Christ. I have been subbing for Stephen Hargreaves, the former music director, for many years, and over the years, I had sincerely come to cherish my time at Bethany as something very special. I am so excited to be joining the church family in a more official capacity. My three year old daughter, Emi, has been enjoying coming to this church for many Sundays now, and I also look forward to making music with my husband, Nicholas Photinos, who is the cellist of a three time GrammyAward winning ensemble, eighth blackbird. I intend to bring beautiful music to this congregation, and I hope we can all make music together. Thank you so much for this wonderful
opportunity.

ABOUT YASUKO OURA

Yasuko Oura is known as pianist, vocal coach, educator, and assistant conductor. She is on the faculty at Northwestern University, and she is also on the music staff for Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Des Moines Metro Opera. Until recently, she was the principal production pianist and coach for Florentine Opera and she has also worked for Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, Madison Opera, and AIMS in Graz, Austria. Her performances have been featured on Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, WFMT, and WTTW’s Chicago Tonight among others. She resides in Chicago, where she also works with Grant Park Chorus, Music of the Baroque, Light Opera Works, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Wisconsin District. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and master’s and doctoral degrees from the Julliard School, where she was a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow.