Thursday, January 17, 12:05 – 1:00 PM

Landmark Center, Courtroom 317
651–292–3267

Carolyn Pratt, soprano
Mary Goetz, piano
with Elizabeth Longhurst , soprano

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)
“Letter Song” from La Périchole (Oct 6, 1868)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
“Letter Duet” from Le Nozze di Figaro (May 1, 1786)
with Elizabeth Longhurst, soprano

Douglas Moore (1893-1969)
“Letter Aria” from Ballad of Baby Doe (July 7, 1956)

Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007)
“Papers” from The Consul (March 1, 1950)

Helen & Paul Baumgartner, piano duettists

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sonata in F for piano four-hands, K. 497
    Adagio-Allegro di molto
    Andante
    Allegro

Carolyn Pratt has performed on both concert and operatic stages throughout the Midwest.  In the Twin Cities, she has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Medalist Concert Band and the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pratt is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a past President of Thursday Musical and currently serves as the Executive Director, is the Executive Director of the Bloomington Fine Arts Council, president-elect of the Bloomington Rotary Club and a professional singer with the Minnesota Chorale. Pratt created An Evening with Jenny Lind, performing as the famous “Swedish Nightingale” in recital. She sang the role of Rosina in the Minnesota Opera’s touring production of Rossini’s Barber of Seville, the title role in Holst’s opera Savitri and created and performed Embraceable You, showcasing the music of Cole Porter and the Gershwin brothers for the Bloomington Center for the Arts.

Elizabeth Longhurst is a native of Michigan. She received her degree in fine art and vocal music from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. In addition to her work as a self-employed graphic designer, she performs regularly in the Twin Cities as a soloist and chorus member. Ms. Longhurst performs frequently with the Minnesota Opera, is a professional singer with the Minnesota Chorale and an artist member of Thursday Musical.

Mary Goetz performs regularly in the Twin Cities as a soloist and collaborative musician with many other Twin Cities artists.  As an accompanist, she has appeared with such performing ensembles as the Longy Chamber Singers of Cambridge, MA, the New England Conservatory Opera, and the Bel Canto Voices of Minnesota.  A native of Wisconsin, she received her Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a student of Howard Karp and studied under Patricia Zander for her Masters degree at the New England Conservatory.  Ms. Goetz is on the faculties of the Minnesota Valley School of Music in Richfield and the K&S Conservatory of Music in Woodbury. She is chair of the Thursday Musical 2008 Young Artist Competition and serves as Executive Secretary for the organization.

Helen Bilhorn Baumgartner is a graduate of the Preparatory Department of the Eastman School of Music in both piano and violin. She holds degrees from Smith College (B.A. magna cum laude), Eastman (M.M.), and the University of Minnesota (D.M.A. in piano performance).  She taught many years at Gustavus Adolphus College, retiring in 2004.

Paul Baumgartner holds degrees from Heidelberg College (Ohio) and the Eastman School of Music. He did additional graduate study at Indiana University and completed a doctorate in performance at the University 0f Arizona.  He served as teaching assistant to Ozan Marsh at the Chautauqua Institute in New York, taught at Wisconsin State University in Stevens Point, and at Gustavus from 1964-1991.  Both Paul and Helen have taught at Miyagi Women’s College in Sendai, Japan and continue to teach privately at home.