Latvian and Swedish Music Concert

Hui Chen, piano, Latvian kokle group led by Zinta Pone; Daniel Greco, baritone & Kate Mariana Brown, piano; Cheryl Paschke, nickelharpe. Co-sponsored by the Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota. Tickets $20

Dr. Ariel Hui Chen is an internationally acclaimed Taiwanese pianist and founder of Lumiere Piano Academy, recognized for performances that unite expressive warmth, clarity, and precision. She performs as a soloist and collaborative artist across the United States and Asia. A prize-winning musician, she holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota and completed her master’s degree at Tainan National University of the Arts. Her recent appearances include the Minneapolis Bach Festival, a Bach Rising Star recital in Taiwan, and performances at the National Taichung Theater and Minnesota Orchestra Hall. Committed to both performance and education, Dr. Chen works extensively with vocalists, instrumentalists, and choirs, with a focus on expressive storytelling and cultural and sacred traditions.

Cheryl Paschke started playing nyckelharpa as an adult, having first encountered the instrument in Sweden at a Midsommar celebration.  She has studied locally and abroad and is an active performer in several Twin Cities-based folk music groups, including Tjärnblom, Swedish Trio, and Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag. She plays traditional music on a Swedish (3-row) nyckelharpa and classical music on a Continental (4-row) nyckelharpa.

Baritone Daniel Greco is a Twin Cities-based performer, voice teacher, and songwriter. Thanks to his mother, he is also a native Swedish speaker, enjoys close ties with his Swedish family and culture (especially music and food!), and has spent a great deal of time in the regions of Västra Götalands län and Bohuslän where his family has its roots.

Daniel regularly performs in a variety of settings from the recital stage to theater and is excited to appear in his 5th iteration of All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 this season. Other credits include productions and new work initiatives with Nautilus Music-Theater, Minnesota Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Yellow Tree Theatre, and Theater Latté Da. In addition to performing, Daniel maintains a private voice studio, conducts the Meetinghouse Chorale, and serves on the voice faculties of Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival. He is a graduate of St. Olaf and NYU and is a proud alum of Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theater Institute. www.danielgrecomusic.com

Kate Mariana Brown is a collaborative pianist and pit musician in the Twin Cities who has worked for the Ordway, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Guthrie Theater where she was assistant music director for Into the Woods, and Artistry Theater where she has performed in nineteen productions and music directed Disney’s Newsies. She enjoys performing with her friends in Pavia Wind Quintet, playing for weddings, composing, arranging, and accompanying students of University of St. Thomas, Central High School, Minnehaha Academy, and Breck School. She holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of Minnesota and a Specialist Certificate in orchestration from Berklee College of Music. www.katemarianabrown.com