February 15, 2007

Pianist Mascolo-David to Perform at Kalamazoo College

KALAMAZOO, MI—Pianist Alexandra Mascolo-David will present a recital of works by Brazilian composer Francisco Mignone, whose works she has recently released on CD. The concert will take place at the Dalton Theatre on the Kalamazoo College campus at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21. The concert is free and open to the public.

Mascolo-David, a Portuguese pianist, has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She has performed with the Fontana Chamber Arts Summer Festival in Kalamazoo with Brazilian pianist Rubia Santos. Mascolo-David is associate professor of piano at Central Michigan University.

In recent years, Mascolo-David has centered her musical focus on composers from Brazil and Portugal, particularly those of Brazilian composer Francisco Mignone. This talented pianist has been on the forefront of presenting Mignone’s works to the world, and her first CD of his works, “Valsas brasileiras (Volume I)” (Brazilian Waltzes) was widely acclaimed. The Atlantic Journal-Constitution wrote "[she plays them with] a poetic, almost improvisatory spirit, in full command of the composer’s urbane voice.” Her recital at Kalamazoo College will celebrate the CD release of the volume of Mignone’s waltzes. “This set of two recordings is of groundbreaking significance and of archival importance, since it is the first recording of these pieces available outside of Brazil,” said Mascolo-David.

The February 21st performance promises to take the audience on a musical adventure into the evocative sounds of Brazil. For more information, please contact the Music Department at Kalamazoo College, 337-7070.

A Fellowship in Learning: At Home in the World, Kalamazoo College is a national liberal arts college and the creator and home of the Kalamazoo Plan. By emphasizing scholarship, civic engagement, and foreign study, Kalamazoo College cultivates a fellowship in learning among students, faculty, and a community of scholars throughout the world. Its students shape elements of the Kalamazoo Plan—rigorous academics, career internships, study abroad, service-learning, and a senior individualized project—into an educational experience that provides insight into the meaning of the kind of citizenship that is at home in the world.