“I’m excited,” said Marilyn Garst, who has been the artistic director for the series since the beginning. “I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
Garst, who is also the music director for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, said that as she has gotten to know more musicians, the series has grown over the years.
The Recital Series will open Sept. 23 with Southwest Piano Trio, violin, cello and piano. It will feature Kay Newnam on violin, Garst on piano and Joanna de Keyser on cello. Compositions being played will include Sonata in C minor for violin and piano by Beethoven, The Cellist of Sarajevo for solo cello by Wilde and Trio in E minor “Dumky” by Dvorák.
The second recital features Nicolò Spera, a guitarist who’s on the faculty at University of Colorado, Boulder. Garst saw him perform in Durango and knew he’d be a perfect fit.
“He played last year at St. Mark’s church in their series, and I liked him so much that I decided to ask him to be on ours this year, and he said yes right away and was very enthusiastic,” Garst said. “That’s kind of how things develop: You hear somebody, and you say, ‘Wow, this would be great to have on our series next year’; things just kind of happen that way.”
Eighty percent of the ticket sales go to the musicians, Garst said. The other 20 percent is retained by the church to help with expenses.
“We have receptions, which are wonderful, after every recital,” she said. “People in our church volunteer to bring food, wine, so that we can have a fun social time afterwards. And it’s wonderful for the musicians to be able to chat with the audience.
“It makes the whole evening very special. I think it adds a lot to it. It’s getting to know the musicians a little bit; I think people really enjoy that aspect of that.”
Adding to the intimacy of the performances is also having the musicians talk a little about each piece before performing, Garst said.
“We try to say a few words about each piece we’re about to perform, which I think also makes it more personal and draws the audience in,” she said. “That’s done a lot here in Durango, whereas when you’re in a big city, you don’t have that happening. You have formal program notes that are written into the program.”
And along with the musicians and receptions, the updated building itself helps make each performance special, Garst said, adding that the building has changed dramatically, especially with the replacement of carpet with wood flooring for the stage area.
“We have wonderful acoustics,” she said. “The wood floors just livened the place up so much. It’s really a beautiful place to play – not only is it acoustically good, but it’s a beautiful setting as well.
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