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BETWEEN THE LINES
featuring Kuang-Hao Huang, piano


Saturday, January 25, 2020
7:30pm
A Gold Coast Home
Purchase Tickets
Friday, January 31, 2020
7:30pm
Pleasant Home (Oak Park)
Purchase Tickets
Monday, March 2, 2020
7:30pm
Fourth Presbyterian (Gold Coast)
PURCHASE TICKETS

The 2019/20 season Parlor Concert series features songs that blur the line between classical and popular genres. Folk-inspired classical works by Dvorak mingle with the cabaret stylings of Edith Piaf and the virtuosic musical theater songs of Adam Guettel in this concert that begs the question: What is genre anyway?
PARLOR CONCERT FORMAT
7:30-8:00pm - Refreshments
8:00-9:00pm - Concert
9:00-10:00pm - Artist Reception

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Program
STEPHEN SONDHEIM - Overture, from A Little Night Music (SATB)

ANTONIN DVORAK - selections from Love Songs, Op. 83 (M)
ANDREA CLEARFIELD - Act II trio from Mila, Great Sorcerer (STB)
AGUSTIN LARA - Granada (T)

DUKE ELLINGTON - In a Sentimental Mood (T)
WILLIAM GRANT STILL - Grief (S)
WILLIAM BOLCOM - Song of Black Max (B)
EDITH PIAF - La vie en rose (M)

SARA BAREILLES - Between the Lines (S)
BILLY JOEL - And So It Goes (SATB)

RICHARD ROGERS - This Nearly Was Mine, from South Pacific (B)

JERRY BOCK - When Did I Fall in Love? (S)
ADAM GUETTEL - Il mondo era vuoto, from 
The Light in the Piazza (T)
LUCY SIMON/MARSHA NORMAN - Quartet, & Lily's Eyes from The Secret Garden (SATB)
Artists
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Kuang-Hao Huang
piano

Commended for his “perceptive pianism” (Audiophile) and “playing that is sensitive and wonderfully warm” (American Record Guide), Chicagoan KUANG-HAO HUANG is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist whose performances have taken him throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has performed in New York City’s Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall; in Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center; and at every major venue in the Chicago area, including the Harris Theatre and Symphony Center. He is often heard live on WFMT and has also performed on WQXR and on Medici.tv. Mr. Huang has recorded for Aucourant, Cedille , Innova and  Naxos , including a CD of flute fantasies with flutist Mathieu Dufour and a premiere recording of early songs by Alban Berg with mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley. His most recent recordings include Notorious RBG in Song with soprano Patrice Michaels and Songs from Chicago with baritone Thomas Hampson.

A strong advocate of new music, Mr. Huang is a member of Fulcrum Point New Music Project and Picosa. Mr. Huang gave the world premiere performances of works by  Louis Andriessen  and  Chen Yi  at Weill Hall as part of Carnegie Hall’s Millennium Piano Book Project.

A dedicated teacher, Mr. Huang serves on the faculties of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and Concordia University-Chicago.

​Mr. Huang is Associate Artistic Director for the International Music Foundation and is the driving force behind Make Music Chicago (makemusicchicago.org), a day-long, citywide celebration of music on the summer solstice.

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Sarah van der Ploeg
soprano

SARAH VAN DER PLOEG is an American lyric soprano who has been singing since before she could speak. Praised as a singing actor for her “thoughtful musicality”, “clarity of tone” and “versatility”, the New Jersey native has performed in London, New York, Chicago, Vienna, and elsewhere around the US and Europe. Equally at home on stage, in concert halls, and in recital, she particularly loves 20th Century & contemporary music and composer collaborations. Performance highlights: world premiere of staged Gary Fry work with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; “Une bête” in Ravel’s L’Enfant with Esa Pekka Salonen and CSO; Stella/Muse in Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s Tales of Hoffmann: Retold; solo turns at the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall; Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with Civic Orchestra of Chicago; Barber’s Knoxville with Lake Forest Civic Orchestra; staged production of David Lang’s the little match girl passion; Mozart’s Requiem with Chicago Chamber Orchestra & Elmhurst Choral Union; Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) at Northwestern; Encouragement Award, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; First place, Chicago NATS. Sarah holds degrees from the Royal Academy of Music (Diane Forlano), Northwestern University (Theresa Brancaccio & Alan Darling), and Princeton University (Public Policy & Music Performance). A Marshall Scholar, she believes deeply in the communicative power of the arts for cultural diplomacy and reconciliation, and works through music outreach and education in addition to performance in pursuit of these aims. sarahvanderploeg.weebly.com

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Bridget Skaggs
mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano BRIDGET SKAGGS has swiftly gained the attention of Chicago audiences for her "warm and plaintive" singing (Chicago Classical Review) across a broad range of genres, including classical, contemporary, avant-garde, jazz, and musical theater. Critics have noted the way she “lights up the scene” (Chicago Reader) in appearances with Chicago Fringe Opera, Chicago Folks Operetta, Haymarket Summer Opera, Lake Forest Civic Orchestra, Baroque on Beaver Festival, Opera Steamboat, and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. A passionate advocate for art song, Skaggs is a founding member and executive director of vocal quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble, and was recently named Vocal Arts Associate for Chicago Fringe Opera. She has twice been awarded the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago's vocal chamber fellowship, and performed for master clinicians Martin Katz, Michelle DeYoung, and Craig Terry. Skaggs loves collaborating with composers to promote and perform new repertoire. She co-hosted the Chicago premiere of the Sparks & Wiry Cries songSLAM competition for new art song in 2019, and sang for the 2016 NATS national convention in music of Gwyneth Walker. Skaggs debuted the role of Austin in the world-premiere production of Rossa Crean’s The Great God Pan in 2018, which received The American Prize in Opera Performance. She will record on the Naxos label this year in music by composer Lori Laitman, and has recorded the American premiere of Paul Abraham's jazz operetta Ball at the Savoy for future release. A native of Southlake, Texas, Bridget received her education at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music, and resides in Chicago.

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Ace Gangoso
tenor

ACE GANGOSO, tenor, enjoys an eclectic musical career in Chicago as a singer, music director, pianist, and teacher. Ace is thrilled to be joining Fourth Coast Ensemble this season, adding to his existing singing engagements with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Chorus, and Chicago a cappella. Within Chicago a cappella, Ace also serves as the Program Director for the High School Apprenticeship, an auditioned group of young singers seeking experience in high-level ensemble singing and arts nonprofit operations.

Ace is the Director of Music Ministry at St. Nicholas Parish in Evanston where he conducts several choirs and musical groups, and plays up to four Masses each weekend. Additionally, he is a pianist for the Chicago Black Catholics Choir and a supplementary staff musician at St. Michael in Old Town. Ace is also a private voice instructor at Highland Park High School.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Ace became a Chicagoan in 2010 and currently resides in the Lakeview neighborhood. Ace holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education and Voice Performance from the University of Central Arkansas, and a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from Northwestern University; he continues voice study with NU Professor W. Stephen Smith. He is a proud alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the world’s oldest and largest fraternal society in music.

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David Govertsen
bass-baritone

Chicago native DAVID GOVERTSEN has been active as a professional singer for fifteen years, portraying a wide variety of opera’s low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons.  An alumnus of the Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, he has performed ten roles with the company, most recently appearing as Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte and King Priam in Les Troyens.  This past season he also appeared at Santa Fe Opera as Frank in Die Fledermaus, and he created the role of Stoever in Stewart Copeland’s The Invention of Morel for Chicago Opera Theater. 

As a concert soloist Mr. Govertsen has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival among many others.  He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 as the Herald in Otello with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti.  He is an alumnus of both the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera apprentice programs and holds degrees from Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the College of DuPage.  Mr. Govertsen is currently on faculty at Valparaiso University, Lewis University, and the College of DuPage.
VenueS
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Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30pm
A Gold Coast Home
Exact address sent upon ticket purchase.

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Friday, January 31, 2020 @ 7:30pm
Pleasant Home
217 Home Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302

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Monday, March 2, 2020 @ 7:30pm
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Buchanan Chapel
126 E. Chestnut St.
​Chicago, IL 60611
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4955 S. Kimbark Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
​
Website photography by Elliot Mandel Photography
  • About
    • The Organization
    • Quartet & Staff Members
  • On Stage
    • Upcoming >
      • 2022-23 Season
      • 2022 Gala: Chicago Public Art in Song
      • Laughterreise: Liebeslieder Edition
      • Chicago songSLAM
      • Fine Folk
    • Past Seasons >
      • 2021-22 Season >
        • A Brush With Our Time, world premiere
        • Laughterreise
        • Roaring Twenties
        • Chicago songSLAM
        • End of Season Talent Show
      • 2021 HD Season >
        • Soprano | Mezzo Duo
        • Tenor | Bass Duo
        • Quartet Remix
        • songSLAM
      • 2019-20 Season >
        • Songs of Fourth Coast
        • American Woman
        • Between the Lines
        • Four by Four
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Give
  • Contact
  • Shop