Washington Musica Viva's new season kicks off on Saturday September
13th at 7:30 pm at BannerArts Studio, 4233C Howard Avenue in Kensington's
"West Howard Antique District." This is just a typical WMV event - music
from two world class local composers, Russell Woollen and Masatoshi
Mitsumoto (three, if you count Walter S.  Hartley, who was born in
Washington DC), and a world class local poet, Linda Pastan.

Linda's poems inspired Russell Woollen's "Songs of Eve" in 1988, a very
effective collaboration that amplifies Linda's poetry and illuminates
Woollen's melodic and harmonic thought.  Masa Mitsumoto's "Songs of
Experience", on poetry of William Blake, are profoundly lyrical and
moving.  We are fortunate to have Susan Wheeler, a wonderful soprano,
to perform these works.

Rhonda Buckley, featured in this month's Washingtonian magazine,
is back with two sizzling American compositions: Walter S.  Hartley's
"Dance Suite", and Robert Starer's "Five Preludes".  "Five Preludes" is
a long time immigrant's affectionate and slightly tongue-in-cheek take
on Americana (including a Sousa march).  Walter S.  Hartley wrote the
"Dance Suite" for Polish-American saxophonist Lawrence Gwozdz, and there
are plenty of Polish-American references (polkas, Chopin) as well as a
casual nod to Stravinsky.

Exciting violinist John Hughes, newcomer to Washington and to WMV, has
credentials that make the rest of us look bad, so we won't mention them.

Linda Pastan, former poet laureate of Maryland, was recently awarded the
2003 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (see her recent interview with the Newshour:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec03/pastan_07-07.html).

For more information, see http://www.geocities.com/washingtonmusicaviva

David Cheng <[log in to unmask]>