Lineup Set For The Season Opener of the David Oei Classical Salon This Weekend at St. John's In The Village

On August 28th, Sunday afternoon at 3pm, the David Oei Classical Salon (DOCS) returns for its seventh season with an all-star line-up of extraordinary musicians ​performing an eclectic program of gorgeous music, from Lili Boulanger to Richard Strauss, with some toe-tapping, hum-inducing themes from the Wizard of Oz in between. Join violinist Eriko Sato, violist Kimberly Foster, cellist Daire FitzGerald , clarinetist Amalie Wyrick-Flax, and pianists Donna Weng Friedman and David Oei for an afternoon of chamber music in the acoustically beautiful St. John's in the Village church located at 218 West 11th Street.

David Oei, concert pianist, founder and artistic director of the series, started DOCS back in August 2015 at the invitation of Spike Wilner, owner of the Mezzrow Jazz Club. Oei wanted to establish a chamber music environment where his wife, renowned violinist Eriko Sato (co-concertmaster of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's) and he could collaborate with old and new colleagues and cultivate a musically collegial community. Oei created this monthly concert series where the performing artists of each concert decided on the programs, rehearsal times and dress codes. Oei enthused- "In other words, I wanted to create a musical haven where the artists were in control."

Oei also wanted a series where anyone could afford to attend. "Couldn't quite do that at the jazz club. But after over a year of the pandemic I was able to move the series to its present location at the invitation of Father Graeme Napier, and with a donations-only format, this last wish was finally realized."

For more information about the series please visit: www.davidoeiclassicalsalon.com

Program for August 28, 3pm

Lili Boulanger Nocturne, Cortege, violin and piano

Eriko Sato, violin

Donna Weng Friedman, piano

Charles Ives Largo for clarinet and piano

Amalie Wyrick-Flax, clarinet

David Oei, piano

Francis Poulenc: Sonata for clarinet and piano

Amalie Wyrick-Flax, clarinet

David Oei, piano

William Hirtz, Wizard of Oz Fantasy, piano, four hands

Donna Weng Friedman, piano

David Oei, piano

Richard Strauss Piano Quartet

Eriko Sato, violin

Kimberly Foster, viola

Daire FitzGerald, cello

David Oei, piano