Photo Flash: PREFORMANCES WITH ALLISON CHARNEY Closes 10th Season

PREFORMANCES with Allison Charney closed out its exciting 10th season on Monday, May 6th at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center with MAY FLOWERS - featuring a star-studded roster including series' founder, soprano Allison Charney, tenor Errin Brooks, counter-tenor Jeffrey Mandelbaum, flutists Tara Helen O'Connor and Marya Martin, cellist Rupei Yeh and pianists Keith Chambers, Helen Huang and Donna Weng Friedman.

The afternoon began with Mr. Brook's thrilling interpretation of "Adieu donc, vains objets" from Massenet's Herodiade - in anticipation of his performance of the full opera under the baton of Keith Chambers with the New Amsterdam Opera. New York Philharmonic cellist, Rupei Yeh then wowed the audience with the first three movements of Poulenc's notoriously challenging Cello Sonata with her usual combination of technical prowess and stylistic grace, accompanied by pianist Helen Huang who played with equal power and beauty. The series Her/Music:Her/Story presented Kim D. Sherman's new version of her "The Clara Cycle" for soprano (Charney), flute (Martin) and piano (Weng Friedman). The trio performed this imagination of the life of Clara Schumann (featuring richly evocative text by poet Royce Flippin) with intensity, dramatic flair and beautiful musicality. In preparation of their upcoming recording, countertenor Jeffrey Mandelbaum and flutist Tara Helen O'Connor gave a sensitive performance of several movements of Mohammed Fairouz' cycle "Domination of Darkness". The afternoon concluded on a high note with the pairing of Charney and Brooks in their powerfully dramatic and gloriously sung final duet from Verdi's AIDA.

PREFORMANCES with Allison Charney returns to Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in the fall.

A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales supports the cutting-edge cancer research of the Basser Center for BRCA. To learn more, visit www.preformances.org

Allison Charney, Donna Weng Friedman and Marya Martin