Piano students perform at Dessert Café

Six students from the piano studio of Cherwyn Ambuter performed recently in an event called a Dessert Café at Ambuter’s home in Vernon. Invited guests enjoyed delicious desserts and coffee while taking in the beautiful music, the flowers and the candles at each table.

This program was designed to help everyone, including performers, feel at-home in a relaxed setting. Performers could wear day-to-day clothes if they wished and feel as if they were providing live music in a café.

Mary Clifford of Vernon; Lylah Colon, Charlotte Darmstadter, and Ella Katzenstein of Warwick; Kyle Garvey of Florida; and Mark Pantilidis of Jefferson served up a varied and delightful program of Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Clementi, ragtime, Irish folk music, “Peanuts” music, Elvis music, contemporary American compositions and a piece by a Malaysian composer.

Interesting tidbits of information for the audience about the music and composers were provided by Ambuter and Mary Clifford. Clifford joined up with Kyle Garvey to offer two sparkling Brahms duet waltzes they had rehearsed together. Neither had ever played chamber music; but by the time of the performance, they had become skilled chamber musicians, listening with care to one another for a smooth and flawless collaboration. For fun, they traded places between the two waltzes to switch between the primo and secondo parts.

Birdie’s Café in McAfee generously loaned their outdoor café tables for this special event. All performers received flowers for a first-time performance within the studio and a certificate. One performer said that something had shifted within themselves and they now very much look forward to another chance to perform.

The café event proved to be a heartwarming and beautiful way for students to encounter what is usually a scary initial performing experience. Several of the students will be going on to the annual MEA-NJ spring non-competitive auditions for another performing opportunity and written feedback upon their playing from another piano teacher, as well as performing in the studio spring master class and in upcoming PVMTA recitals. The studio is also planning a field trip in June to see Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”, a classical/jazz piano concerto, with the Discovery Orchestra.