LIFE'S WORK: Songs Of American Composers, On Love And Life Comes to National Opera Center

The Cheah-Chan Duo (Phillip Cheah, Trudy Chan), Mezzo-Soprano Re'ut Ben Ze'ev, pianist Margaret Kampmeier, and Baritone José Pietri-Coimbre, bring to life rare premieres of music by Vally Weigl, Dorothy Rudd Moore, H. Leslie Adams, and many others, including Frank J. Oteri, Chet Biscardi. This is a free concert at National Opera Center 330 Seventh Ave. (28-29), in New York City, on Monday, April 22.

Mezzo-Soprano Re'ut Ben Ze'ev has been working to bring Vally Weigl's art songs back to New York City. Weigl's music is often performed in Europe. She was the wife of composer Karl Weigl, but an accomplished and gifted composer in her own right. Working with Peggy Kampmeier, pianist with the New York Philharmonic, Re'ut will give premiere performances of some of Vally's beautiful art songs and piano music from the 1970s.

The Cheah-Chan Duo, celebrating their 10th incredible year of collaboration, will perform several songs as part of "Life's Work", a musical meditation on the themes of love and life. Composers include Mark Fax, Karen Siegel, Joe Rubinstein, Rosephanye Powell, and more.

Just added: Two works by Dorothy Rudd-Moore, "Weary Blues" and "The Fourth of July Speech" from the opera Frederick Douglass will be performed by Baritone José Pietri-Coimbre, with pianist Richard Liebowitz and cellist Halie Morris.