Soirées Musicales
Piano Series
Thirty-Eighth Season
Presenting Artists of International Reputation in the intimate atmosphere
of the Recital Hall
For nearly four decades, pianist and teacher
Donald Hageman has enhanced the cultural atmosphere of Dayton,
Ohio—and the entire Midwest—by offering pianists of artistic distinction on
his Soirées Musicales series. Since the series' inception, nearly ninety pianists have graced its roster, and many have
been so warmly received that Dayton audiences have requested their return on three or four
separate occasions. The Soirées has provided the Midwestern debut for many of these artists, and a large number have gone
on to achieve recognition throughout the world. To date, the series has offered a podium to pianists such as Frank Braley, Steven DeGroote,
Kemal Gekic, Angela Hewitt, Garrick Ohlsson, Caio Pagano, Sergey Schepkin, Juana Zayas, and many others of international
distinction. In addition, the Soirées has offered the area premieres for contemporary works by composers such as
Messiaen, Prokofieff, Sessions, Shostakovitch, and Stravinsky. The guiding philosophy of the Soirées Musicales has been to celebrate the artistry of the piano by presenting
performers of rare distinction, many of whom have traveled uniquely individualistic paths of
accomplishment. Happily, that philosophy has been
warmly embraced over the years by its audience, which has proven to be one of the most knowledgable and appreciative in America.
"The devotion of a fanatic and the keen insight of an insider—Donald
Hageman brings both to the Soirées Musicales piano series."
—Mark Stryker, The Dayton Daily News
2007-2008 Season
All concerts for the 2007-2008 Season are held at the beautiful Shiloh Church, located at Philadelphia Drive
and North Main Street in Dayton. All concerts begin at 8 pm. Shiloh Church’s large, well-equipped sanctuary is one
of the most desirable acoustical environments in the
Miami Valley, and it is conveniently located with extensive
parking.
Click here for directions
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2007
Petronel Malan
"Her playing of
Rachmaninov’s
Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. . . . eschewed vulgarity and seemed to penetrate to
the very poetry behind the notes—not all steel, concrete and velocity. Still, she gave vent
to the music’s rhetoric and did not intend to apologize for an overt appeal to the emotions."
—The Pretoria News, Pretoria, South Africa
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007
Caio Pagano
"The whole story is to be found here, at the hands of Caio Pagano."
—Fanfare
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008
Kemal Gekic
"Gekic rides the charismatic edge of genius"
—Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008
Ann Schein
"When Ann Schein came on stage to play the Rachmaninoff Third Concerto ... it was . . . an auspicious occasion,
the pianist giving a brilliant account of this extraordinarily difficult concerto, summoning forth the massive sonorities without banging
and managing to find expressive meaning even in the most virtuosic passages."
—The New York Times
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2008
Finghin Collins
"Irish pianist Finghin Collins ...
returned for another
exhilarating performance of a Mozart concerto. He
gave the music plenty of energy and drive but he also added multifaceted character through
an exquisite tone that was fascinating for the color and variety of attacks and weight."
—The Houston Chronicle
