Newton Piano Summit - David Schulenberg and Monica Jakuc Leverett
When:
Saturday, Mar 15, 2025 3:00p -
5:00p
Saturday, Mar 15, 2025 3:00p -
5:00p
Where:
Second Church in Newton
60 Highland Street
West Newton, MA 02465
Admission:
FREE
Hosted by:
Categories:
Festivals & Fairs, Music
Event website:
https://newtonpianosummit.org
David Schulenberg: Historically Inspired Virtuoso
David Schulenberg is a renowned harpsichordist, organist, and fortepianist celebrated for his historically informed performances of Baroque and Classical keyboard music. Best known for his interpretations of works by J.S. Bach and C.P.E. Bach, Schulenberg captivates audiences with his technical brilliance and expressive artistry.
A frequent soloist and ensemble performer, he brings historical repertoire to life through his mastery of period instruments and deep understanding of early music styles. Schulenberg has performed widely across the U.S. and internationally, earning acclaim for his compelling musicianship and attention to detail.
In addition to his performing career, Schulenberg is a respected educator and scholar whose work bridges the worlds of performance and research, ensuring the enduring relevance of early music in the modern era.
Monica Jakuc Leverett: Bridging Centuries of Keyboard Mastery
Monica Jakuc Leverett is the Elsie Irwin Sweeney Professor Emerita of Music at Smith College, where she taught since 1969. An internationally recognized pianist, she has performed on three continents and remains an active solo and chamber musician in Western Massachusetts, playing both early and modern pianos.
Her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1980 featured a program of 20th-century music for two pianos. The New York Times praised her performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at Merkin Hall as “an auspicious debut.” She premiered a work by Ronald Perera in her 1988 London debut and has since toured Japan, Alaska, and both U.S. coasts. Passionate about women composers, she has given lecture-recitals at International Association of Women in Music concerts.
Her recordings include works by Haydn, Marianne von Martinez, and Francesca LeBrun. Her latest album, Fantasies for Fortepiano, features music by Mozart, C.P.E. Bach, Haydn, and Beethoven.
Jakuc Leverett holds degrees from Juilliard and studied with renowned pianists including Leon Fleisher and Russell Sherman. She and her husband, Bob Leverett, explore forests and support conservation through the Monica and Bob Leverett Forever-Wild Conservation Fund.
Special guest Jacob Cooper, a Colorado-born baritone, is acclaimed for his dynamic stage presence in opera, recital, and ensemble performances. Described as “stunning” by The Boston Globe, he has performed with top New England period ensembles, including the Handel and Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, Arcadia Players, and Boston Baroque (Giulio Cesare). He also champions contemporary music, premiering works such as Oliver Caplan’s The Cellist is Dead and song cycles by Stephen Coxe and Frank Pesci.
His recent solo appearances include Chorus Pro Musica, the Blue Hill Bach Festival, and Juventas New Music Ensemble. His operatic roles range from Saul (David et Jonathas) and Leporello (Don Giovanni) to Ford (Falstaff), praised as “the best Shakespearean acting I’ve seen all year” (HubReview).
This program is supported in part by grants from the Village Bank which has a long tradition of commitment to the Garden City, Advance Auto in Nonantum – providing quality service for everything automotive, Honda Village, and the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, Newton Community Pride, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Charles River Foundation and private donors.
