The Muses Creative Artistry Project and
Garvan Woodland Gardens
present “Printemps! Beauty of the French Art Song” on Sunday,
March 18 at 3 o’clock in
the afternoon. The concert is the first of the 2012 Muses’ four-part
concert series at the Gardens, “Four Seasons in Art and Song”.
“Printemps”, the French word for
spring, will feature some of the most breathtaking music ever written by
Debussy, Faure, Gounod, and Berlioz, among other famous French composers of the
19th Century. These art songs were originally intended to be
performed in a Salon setting, a private home or club, where music lovers
gathered to hear the virtuoso expressions of a solo singer, or
instrumentalist. All of the pieces chosen for this program depict
romantic images of Springtime: the mossy woods dotted with
lilies-of-the-valley, blackbirds and nightingales spinning out enchanted songs
of love and longing, fairies, dreams, …and advice to enjoy the pleasure of
being alive.
Classically trained sopranos Deleen
Davidson and Keely Futterer will perform, along with pianist Louis Menendez,
flutist Shelley Martin, and trombonist Steve Suter.
Miss
Futterer will present two famous coloratura soprano arias: Je veux vivre
(translated “I want to live”), from Gounod’s opera “Romeo & Juliette”, and The
Jewel Song, from “Faust”. And for the concert closer, audiences will
not want to miss these two sopranos performing the beloved Flower Duet
from “Lakme'”.
Miss Futterer said, “I am so thrilled
to come back to Hot Springs
and work with the Muses Project again. Singing in "Die
Zauberflöte" was a glorious experience that wouldn't have been
possible had it not been for Ms. Davidson's faith in me. Working with her
and with the Muses program has opened many opportunities for me and their
passion for aiding musicians, young and old, is a wonder and a blessing.”
Keely Futterer is a native of Dover , Arkansas ,
currently about to graduate from Arkansas Tech University in
Russellville , Arkansas
where both of her parents are music professors. She has always had a love
of music, and that was catapulted into high gear at the age of six when she was
cast as Gretl in her community’s production of “The Sound of Music”.
Since then, Keely has continued with her robust passion playing such roles as
Annie in “Annie”, Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”, The Witch in “Into The Woods”,
Maria in “The Sound of Music”, and Mabel in “The Pirates of Penzance”. She
spent a summer in Eureka Springs participating in the Opera in the Ozarks
program, where she performed in “Albert Herring”, “I Pagliacci”, “Hansel and
Gretel”, and “Manon”, and recently marked her 22nd musical/opera as
Peggy Sawyer in “42nd Street” at Arkansas Tech University. In
addition to playing characters, she has placed in many competitions, both state
and regional. This past spring she was awarded the Encouragement Award at
the Arkansas
MET auditions, given the Little Rock Music Coterie Award, and received 2nd
Place at the Tulsa Rotary Crescendo Competition.
More than anything though, Keely thanks God everyday for blessing her with an
immensely supportive and loving group of family and friends and the gift that
keeps on giving…music!!
Muses’ founder, Deleen Davidson was
recipient of both Rotary International and Fulbright Scholarships, allowing her
to pursue European music and Fine Arts studies in Germany
and Austria .
She was named Outstanding Female Graduate of the University
of New Orleans ,
and holds an honors degree in History, with minor studies in Music, Fine Art
and German. She is the President and Principal Artist of The Muses Creative
Artistry Project, a multi-disciplined non-profit arts organization dedicated to
excellence, and preserving classical art and music through performance and education.
The Muses partners regularly with other arts organizations to enhance the
cultural life of the region and grow the creative economy. Based on
nature’s four seasons, The Muses offers a regular series of concerts, art
exhibits and creativity seminars. To date, she has presented more than 75
performances in the region, including 25 full-scale concerts in which she was
programmer, producer, promoter and principal performer.
Continuing the 2012 seasonal
celebrations, Summer will be celebrated with Broadway tunes and other popular
standards, in a performance aptly titled “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” to be
held on Fathers’ Day, June 17. The Opera Gala performers will be in town
to celebrate fall’s arrival on September 16 with “Opera Classics.” They will
sing some of their favorite arias, duets, and ensembles, in preparation for the
following week’s full performance of Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte”. And, of
course, the Christmas season would be incomplete without the Muses’
presentation of the seventh annual “Voices of Angels” concert on December
16.
Series tickets are still available for
$80, a $20 savings over individual prices of $25 per concert. Advance
tickets are encouraged, as several of last year’s concerts were sold out in
advance.
For more information about The Muses
Creative Artistry Project or their 2012 season, contact the Muses at (501)
463-4514 or www.themusesproject.org.
Or, stop by the Muses’ Three Arts Café and Bookstore, located in the lobby of
the Hale Bathhouse in beautiful, historic downtown Hot
Springs .
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