“The evening was magically and poetically filled with talented young performers, and terrific instrumental and vocal music.... Your salon is a wonderful concept, and you really executed it flawlessly.”

-- Dr. Alfred Lavorato, audience member

Lovely soprano Courtney Huffman joined Artists in Residence The Blue Rose Trio for the second concert of the series, in an excitingly fresh program that married the familiar with the unusual.

In a clever nod to the February concert featuring Korngold, The Blue Rose Trio opened the concert with the third and fourth movements from Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 66 – as cellist Lars Hoefs explained the Shakespeare/Hollywood connection between the two composers:  Korngold first went to Hollywood to arrange Mendelssohn’s score from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for a 1935 blockbuster film starring Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland; Mendelssohn wrote that score as a young teen, a child prodigy like Korngold; and the Scherzo movement from the Mendelssohn Trio is cut from the same elfin, spritely cloth as the scherzo from his score.  The finale of the Mendelssohn Trio, Lars continued, weaves together two conspicuous influences:  the main theme is derived from the Gigue of Bach’s third English Suite, followed by introduction of the Lutheran Chorale “Before Your Throne.”

Ms. Huffman’s portion of the program swept from classical opera to Broadway.  She began with Heitor Villa-Lobos' demanding Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, originally written for soprano and eight cellos – a most unusual vocal piece of soaring range, whose lyrics celebrate the shining presence of the Moon, capped by virtuoso operatic humming!  Most of the audience had never heard anything like this amazing performance.

As wonderful an actress as she is an accomplished singer, Ms. Huffman particularly delighted the audience with her rendition of “Quando men vo” from La Bohème.  She set the scene by explaining that coquette Musetta has come to the Café Momus with an aging patron of whom she is tiring.  Seeing her old boyfriend Marcello sitting at one of the tables, she sings this risqué song, hoping to reclaim Marcello’s attention.

Accompanied by pianist Rose Chen, Ms. Huffman became Musetta – and as she sang, she drifted flirtatiously behind cellist Lars Hoefs who, before he realized what was happening, had reflexively started to fidget – to the great amusement of the audience.  Violinist Audrey Solomon assured the audience afterwards that the three ladies had cooked up this staging without telling Lars.

After the concert, the four performers, together with guest artist and choreographer Laura Karlin, had dinner at separate tables with the audience.  Ms. Huffman felt especially privileged to share her dinner table with preeminent speech pathologist and voice coach Dr. Alfred Lavorato, and internationally renowned laryngologist (throat specialist), Hans von Leden, M.D.

But the surprises weren’t over.  In a stunning after-dinner encore, Ms. Huffman took on the role of Maria from Westside Story – as she began the haunting and romantic “Tonight,” she held her hand out to audience member Hayden Adams, a professional actor and singer, who rose from his table as Tony -- a memorable duet, accompanied by The Blue Rose Trio in a sophisticated arrangement.