A petite woman in a Maroon dress, holding a silver polished flute walks up on stage with a big smile as the theater crowd’s cheer filled the room with their applause and welcome.
Pierce College Music Department faculty Professor Charlotte Betry performed flute chamber at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on Thursday.
Her first piece was for the audience to listen and feel the moods of the variations of the notes and sounds.
“I am going to start with an unaccompanied piece by Robert Muczynski “The Three Preludes” kind of like three movements,” Betry said. “Each are supposed to instill a different mood.”
Betry then moved on to a Sonata accompanied by Bryan Pezzone on piano, which was the longest performance in the show.
Pezzone is an established performer and he performs with many orchestras in Southern California, recorded hundreds of television and motion picture soundtracks with Warner Brothers and Disney and was the principal pianist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Betry then transitioned to a tango, accompanied by Hugo Nogueira on guitar. Nogueira is part of the Pierce College Music Department faculty and has performed in many different states across the country.
“I really wanted to do something for flute and guitar, there is a lot of repertoire out there. If you’re a guitarist, find yourself a flutist.” Betry said.
The piece was named “Café 1930,” a tango by Astro Piazzolla filled the room with pleasant tunes by the guitar and flute. The two instruments had a connection, the slow tunes blended well like they were talking to each other.
It was pleasant to the ears when all you here is music being made.
“Something important to know, all these pieces are tangos, they’re dances, but this movement is specifically from a time when tango was not necessarily be danced too instead listened too and appreciated, hence “Café 1930.” Go to Argentina with me, sit a café have a nice espresso and enjoy the music,” Betry said.
Bringing on to the stage two more flutes, they were ready to make the elves and fairies dance.
Armand Assaiante and Mary Cervantes accompanied Betry for the fourth piece in the concert. The piece was about dancing elves and fairies. The piece had high notes, low notes, fast movements and slow movements and the flutist accompanied each other well for the piece. They were well rehearsed and balanced in all elements.
Betry announced that she will be changing her program leaving out one of the pieces originally listed. Instead she played the last piece listed on the program, “Not the Boring Stuff” by Mike Mower.
The crowd was amused by the familiar piece of music being played by Betry accompanied by the piano to end the show. The audience was left with wanting more because that piece was the highlight of the show.
Expressions were heard around the room as Betry started to play and it went on till the end of the piece, ending it with a very loud round of applause and whistles.
The next Thursday Concert will be on Oct. 3, featuring Chamber Music with Hugo Nogueira, guitar.
