Join fellow chamber music supporters at ACMC’s upcoming Blue Bash!
This year, we are thrilled to feature the incomparable Liz Cass. The award-winning mezzo will take the stage with Artistic Director and pianist Michelle Schumann. Together, they will tell stories of camaraderie and collaboration and perform works by Debussy, Beach, Chausson, and Puccini.
Tickets start at $250 and include the artists’ fabulous concert program, a multi-course dinner, drinks, and more. Support ACMC’s education and outreach programs by spending a magical evening at the beautiful UMLAUF Sculpture Garden!
Unable to attend? Please consider making a donation to support ACMC during our biggest fundraiser of the year, made all the more important at this difficult time.
Program
Chanson d’amour from 3 Songs | Amy Beach (1867–1944)
Beau soir, arranged for piano quintet | Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Chanson perpétuelle, arranged for mezzo and piano quintet | Ernest Chausson (1855–1899)
Musetta’s Waltz from La bohème, arranged for mezzo and piano quintet | Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
FEATURING
Liz Cass, mezzo
Elise Winters and Shelby Dems, violins
Ruben Balboa, viola
Elizabeth Lee, cello
Michelle Schumann, piano
We will be monitoring the pandemic and local safety guidance as the date approaches to ensure the safest possible experience for all. UMLAUF is outdoors which helps to minimize exposure risks. Capacity will be limited; additionally, proof of vaccination/negative test result and masking may be required, depending on current conditions. Staff and musicians are all vaccinated and will be tested on the day of the event.
Liz Cass
“Cass played the camera angles like a pro. Her fruity mezzo was compelling whether amplified or not and she brought a sense of theatricality to the piece…” – Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News. “Mezzo-soprano Liz Cass has a vibrant voice with a gutsy chest voice and an elegant upper register” – Callum John Blackmore, Parterre.com. Liz Cass is an active operatic performer, founder and the Executive Producer of the award-winning LOLA – Local Opera Local Artists and she holds the position of Executive Director of the Armstrong Community Music School. In addition, Ms. Cass serves as the President of the Seagle Festival Alumni Association board, as Secretary on the board of the Austin Classical Guitar, and as a member of the KMFA Community Advisory Board.
Michelle Schumann
Hailed for her “sensitive, flexible, and tempestuous dexterity” (Fanfare Magazine), pianist Michelle Schumann has built a reputation for evocative and moving performances. Since 2006, Michelle has served as Artistic Director of the Austin Chamber Music Center, where she “is fearlessly expanding our definition of chamber music” (Austin American-Statesman). Her brand of performance includes an enthusiastic interplay with the audience and her trademark includes bringing diverse music together under a blanket of narrative events.
Schumann is artist-in-residence and professor of piano at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and additionally holds a Performance Diploma from the Vienna Conservatory.