The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: “Grace Presents” offers a FREE concert this Saturday at noon by three UW-Madison graduate students: flutist Danielle Breisach; pianist Yana Avedyan; and percussionist Andrew Baldwin.

By Jacob Stockinger

Our friends at the community-based “Grace Presents” write:

This Saturday from noon to 1 p.m., at Grace Episcopal Church (below are photos of the exterior and interior), 116 West Washington Avenue on the Capitol Square downtown, “Grace Presents” will offer a FREE concert.

The program features three University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music graduate students: flutist Danielle Breisach, pianist Yana Avedyan and percussionist Andrew Baldwin.

Grace Presents is a free monthly concert series that takes place in the historic Grace Episcopal Church on Madison’s Capitol Square. The series features a diverse range of music, everything from classical and folk to jazz and bluegrass.

The weekend’s classical program includes: the “Undine” Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 167, by Carl Reinecke (you can hear the lovely slow movement played by Emmanuel Pahud in a YouTube video at the bottom); Sonata da Camera, Op. 67 for Flute and Piano by Nicolas Bacri; Reflections Nos. 1 (Crystalline) and V (Profound) “On The Nature of Water” by Jacob Druckman (1928-1996); Meditation for Solo Vibraphone by Takayoshi Yoshioka (b. 1955); “Toucher” by Vinko Globokar (b. 1934); “Torse III” by Akira Miyoshi  (1933-2013); and “Arabesque” for Solo Vibraphone by Claude Debussy as arranged by Karen Ervin Pershing (1943-2004).

Here are biographies of the three young but very accomplished musicians:

Danielle Breisach’s exuberance and compassion permeate her performing and teaching. In demand as a collaborative musician and teacher, Danielle has performed with several organizations in Michigan and Wisconsin and maintains a private studio of over 30 highly successful students. As an adjudicator and clinician, Breisach (below) has been invited to adjudicate auditions for Winds of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Flute Festival, teach the flute master class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Summer Music Clinic, and appear as a guest clinician for middle school and high school flutists in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Currently, Danielle Breisach is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Flute Performance studying with Stephanie Jutt. In addition to modern flute, she is a baroque flute specialist (studied with Jeanne Swack), and has participated in baroque master classes with Kim Pineda and Barthold Kuijken
As Artistic Director of the Madison Flute Club since 2012, Danielle has extended the reach of the organization through founding the Chamber Ensemble, which gave its debut performance at the National Flute Association’s annual convention in 2014. Additionally, Danielle founded the Middle School and High School Flute Ensembles in 2013, giving young, Madison-area flutists the opportunity to collaborate with one another and gain experience on auxiliary instruments.

Previously, Danielle has taught at Western Michigan University, where she received a BM in Music Education (’07) and MM in Music Performance (’09). She also held the position of Director of the High School Flute Ensembles for the West Michigan Flute Association from 2010-2012.

Danielle Breisach lives in Madison with her husband Jeff and their two dogs and three cats. In addition to teaching privately, Danielle is working towards completing her DMA at UW-Madison, working with the Madison Flute Club, and participating on the planning committee for the Wisconsin Flute Festival. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to Bay View, Michigan, kayaking, hiking and reading.

Yana Avedyan, pianist, is originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine, where she attended Music School No. 9 and studied with Tatiana Glazirina majoring in piano performance. She began her studies with Karen Becker at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2007 and has participated in master classes with Evgenia Tzarov and Helen Huang. In the spring of 2011 Avedyan made her debut as soloist with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488.

She completed her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Music and Accounting in May 2012, when she graduated summa cum laude. In the spring of 2013 Yana Avedyan and Danielle Breisach (flute) were the winners of the Annual Shain Woodwind­ Piano Duo Competition. In the Spring of 2014, Avedyan was one of the winners of the Annual Beethoven Competition. Avedyan is currently in the DMA program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she is a student of Van Cliburn Competition medal-winning pianist Christopher Taylor.

Andrew Baldwin is currently pursuing a master of music in percussion performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He has had the opportunity to perform for master classes and festivals including artists such as Carl Allen, She-e Wu, Greg Beyer, Jack Van Geem, Nancy Zeltsman and Mike Truesdell.  Alongside the UW Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble, he has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and Symphony Center in Chicago.  He will again play in Carnegie Hall with the UW-Madison Symphonic Wind Ensemble.  With his jazz playing, he has shared the stage with Christian Howes (jazz violinist) and Roy “Futureman” Wooten.

An advocate of chamber and new music, he composes music and plays in various chamber groups both on and off campus.  During his undergraduate studies, he formed the saxophone/percussion duo, “Wood/Wind”, which made a recording of a chronology of pieces showcasing the development of pieces written for the pairing.  Andrew Baldwin also frequently engages in free improvisation with many of the UW-Madison studio members.