Jason Sia, piano

A Summer Serenade: Music for the Summer Solstice 

Carmencita Guanzon Arambulo Poème: A Song Without Words
Claude Debussy L’isle joyeuse and Rêverie 
Frédéric Chopin, transcr. Carl Reinecke Larghetto from Piano Concerto No. 2
Maurice Ravel Gaspard de la nuit
Scott Joplin The Entertainer; Solace: A Mexican Serenade; and Maple Leaf Rag
Earl Wild / George Gershwin Grand Fantasy on Gershwin’s Opera ‘Porgy and Bess’

Recognized for his eloquently expressive depth of interpretation and seamless technique, pianist Jason Sia presents a captivating program spanning French impressionism, Romantic lyricism, and dazzling 20th-century virtuosity. Mr. Sia has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Central America, and Asia, including appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

The program opens with Poème: A Song Without Words by Carmencita Guanzon Arambulo, a lyrical and intimate work of quiet nostalgia, followed by Claude Debussy’s radiant L’isle joyeuse, shimmering with color, rhythmic vitality, and a sense of ecstatic freedom. A moment of poetic reflection follows with the Larghetto from Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, presented in a refined solo transcription by Carl Reinecke, offering one of Chopin’s most tender and operatic melodies.

At the heart of the program is Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, a monumental and haunting triptych inspired by the prose poems of Aloysius Bertrand. Widely regarded as one of the most technically demanding works in the piano repertoire, it conjures vivid imagery: the seductive water nymph in Ondine, the desolate tolling of Le gibet, and the demonic, electrifying virtuosity of Scarbo, a tour de force of pianistic brilliance and imagination.

The program culminates in the exhilarating Grand Fantasy on Gershwin’s Opera ‘Porgy and Bess’ by George Gershwin, brilliantly reimagined by virtuoso pianist Earl Wild. This electrifying paraphrase transforms Gershwin’s iconic melodies into a dazzling showcase of color, rhythm, and virtuosity—blending jazz, opera, and classical traditions into a thrilling and triumphant conclusion.

For more information, please visit www.jasonsia.com

9th Annual San Francisco International Piano Festival

Opening Night: Postcards

Éva Polgár, piano (San Francisco debut)
Jeffrey LaDeur, piano

Samuel Barber Souvenirs for piano four-hands
Derek Bermel Turning
Franz Liszt Bénédiction et serment for piano four-hands, S. 628
Franz Liszt Deux légendes, S. 185 – I: St. François d’Assise: La predication aux oiseaux; II: St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots
Franz Liszt Gaudeamus igitur (Humoreske) for piano four-hands, S. 586

The 9th annual San Francisco International Piano Festival is proud to present its opening night concert at Old First Concerts, continuing the festival’s long-standing partnership with the series. As the season celebrates a kaleidoscope of international voices, the festival opens with Samuel Barber’s Souvenirs, a charming and sparkling suite of dances reflective of different musical traditions. Derek Bermel’s Turning presents a profound postcard in variation form, written after the composer’s studies in Ghana. Beginning with a simple hymn tune, the work explores an eclectic palette of musical styles in dramatic fashion. The music of Liszt is featured throughout the evening, a master musical storyteller who exploits the full tonal and technical possibilities of the piano.

This program features the San Francisco debut of renowned pianist Éva Polgár in solo works by Liszt and in duo works with festival founder and artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur. Ms. Polgár maintains an active and international performance schedule along with her dedication to mentoring the next generation of musicians. Her performances have been heard at Carnegie Hall, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and at prominent venues throughout the United States and her native Hungary. Don’t miss this varied and exciting evening of classics and rare gems!

The San Francisco International Piano Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Ross McKee Foundation.

About the artists

Pianist Éva Polgár is a sought-after recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator, and adjudicator. Critics praise her for her “intelligent interpretations” (Funzine Magazine) and “emotional power” (New York Concert Review). Her dedication to her native Hungarian culture has led her to research Béla Bartók’s piano arrangements of his original orchestral compositions and to specialize in the music of Franz Liszt. Her solo album, Liszt: Harmonies patriotiques et religieuses, was released under Hunnia Records. She has appeared as a panelist and expert on BBC World Service’s program The Forum: Franz Liszt – Hungarian pianist and painter in sound.

Polgár has toured the Americas, Asia, and Europe. As the Hungary Foundation’s Cultural Ambassador of the Year in 2022, she performed a full program of musical treasures from Central Europe and Hungary at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and Nichols Concert Hall in Chicago. Her concerto performances include appearances with conductors Horst Förster at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Tamás Vásáry at the Danube Palace in Budapest, and Okko Kamu at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

Her chamber music debut recitals at Carnegie Hall featured violinist Kristóf Baráti and clarinetist Bence Szepesi, and at the Kennedy Center she performed with pianists László Borbély and Gábor Varga, all to high critical acclaim. She has also collaborated with Klára Csordás (voice), Márta Ábrahám (violin), and Vilmos Szabadi (violin), among other renowned artists. Her long-standing duo partner is flutist Lisa Bost-Sandberg, with whom she recorded Asha Srinivasan’s virtuosic work Utthishta.

An avid promoter of contemporary music, Polgár actively collaborates with composers and new music performers. Her solo and collaborative repertoire ranges from Pierre Boulez to emerging composers. As a member of the InterSpheres Trio, alongside flutist Lisa Bost-Sandberg and percussionist Jacob Harpster, she has built an impressive performance history, commissioning and premiering works such as i/o (2017) by Daniel Tramte and dualith (2017) by Balázs Horváth, in addition to performing other trio and duo repertoire on national and international tours. She gave the world premiere of Andrew S. Lloyd’s Préludes: Book II at the University of Texas at San Antonio, supported by the Barlow Endowment. In the realm of cross-disciplinary endeavors, she collaborates with visual artist Sándor Vály. Their experimental music albums, released under Ektro Records, have been broadcast by Finnish Radio.

Polgár has won top prizes in competitions, including the 2012 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (LAILC). In 2017, she was elected co-director of LAILC alongside Dr. Katherine Hickey, a role through which she fosters young musicians in the early stages of their professional careers. To support her work in mentoring emerging talents and promoting the musical heritage of Franz Liszt, the Hungarian Academy of Arts awarded her a three-year grant to design a series of twenty-nine concerts in Hungary and the United States between September 2020 and August 2023.

A graduate of the Franz Liszt University and the Sibelius Academy, Polgár earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas (UNT). Her former mentors include Jenő Jandó, Hamsa Al-Wadi Juris, Lívia Rév, Orsolya Szabó, and Adam Wodnicki.

A committed educator and adjudicator, she has given masterclasses and appeared at festivals and competitions such as LAILC, the Bogotá International Piano Festival in Colombia, East China Normal University, the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition, and the Southeastern Piano Festival, among many others. She is currently Assistant Professor of Piano and Keyboard Area Coordinator at East Tennessee State University. In addition to her teaching appointment, she serves as President of the Appalachian Music Teachers Association and as Executive Secretary on the Executive Board of the American Liszt Society. In this capacity, she hosted the American Liszt Society Festival at East Tennessee State University in fall 2025.

www.evapolgar.com

Jeffrey LaDeur is known for his rare blend of insight, spontaneity, and approachable, communicative stage presence. Clic Musique Magazine (France) lauded “… an irreproachable legato, a beautiful palette of nuances, and an always well-balanced sound.” Having inherited a rich tradition of pianism and interpretation from Annie Sherter, student of Vlado Perlemuter and Alfred Cortot, LaDeur has established himself as a compelling exponent of classic and new repertoire. In March of 2018, LaDeur made his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall on the centennial of Claude Debussy’s death. He appears regularly with orchestra and maintains a repertoire of over 40 concerti. LaDeur is the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco International Piano Festival and president of the American Liszt Society, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

2023-2024 season highlights include engagements at the International Piano Series, College of Charleston, Mendocino Music Festival Piano Series, Rossmoor Chamber Music Society, and the Vallejo Symphony led by Marc Taddei. LaDeur’s most recent solo recording features music of Liszt and was released by Music & Arts in April of 2022. Critic Henry Fogel wrote, “The beauty of his coloration, the rightness of his phrasing, and his sensitive dynamic shaping, all draw the listener into Liszt’s world.” A chamber musician of distinction, Jeffrey’s collaboration with mezzo soprano Kindra Scharich has produced To My Distant Beloved, an album exploring the connections between Beethoven and Schumann through cycles in song and solo piano works. LaDeur has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Robert Mann, Bonnie Hampton, Ian Swensen, Axel Strauss, Geoff Nuttall, and the Alexander String Quartet.

An active educator, Jeffrey offers masterclasses frequently as guest artist in universities throughout the United States and coaches gifted pre-college piano and string ensembles at Young Chamber Musicians in Burlingame, California. LaDeur holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory of Music in piano performance and chamber music, respectively. Jeffrey counts among his teachers Mark Edwards, Douglas Humpherys, Yoshikazu Nagai, and Robert McDonald.

JeffreyLaDeur.com SFPIANO.OR

9th Annual San Francisco International Piano Festival

Solo Recital Series: Alexandre Dossin, piano

American piano music from the last 100 years

Leonard Bernstein selections from Thirteen Anniversaries
Robert Pollock Piano Miniatures
George Walker Prelude and Caprices
George Walker Variations on a Kentucky Folk Song
George Walker Guido’s Hand No. 4
George Walker Piano Sonata No. 5
Heiter Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4
George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue

The San Francisco International Piano Festival is proud to present pianist Alexandre Dossin in this solo recital and festival debut. Considered by Martha Argerich an “extraordinary musician” and by the international critics a “phenomenon” and “a master of contrasts,” Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin keeps an active performing, recording, and teaching career. Alexandre Dossin is Professor of Piano and Chair of Keyboard at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. Originally from Brazil, Alexandre Dossin is a graduate from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Russia) and holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin (USA).

Mr. Dossin has championed both classic and contemporary composers through performance, recording, and preparation of scores for Schirmer Performance Editions. The recital will include music by George Walker, a composer with whom Mr. Dossin has special affinity, having recorded his complete works for piano on the Naxos label.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear these vital musical voices in masterful performances!

The San Francisco International Piano Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Ross McKee Foundation.

About the artist

A prizewinner in several international piano competitions, Alexandre Dossin received the First Prize and the Special Prize at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other international awards include the Silver Medal and second Honorable Mention in the Maria Callas Grand Prix, and Third Prize and Special Prize in the Mozart International Piano Competition, in addition to several prizes in Brazil.

An active recording artist, he has numerous CDs released with several labels, including 10 CDs with Naxos. Dossin is an editor and recording artist for several Schirmer Performance Editions. Dossin’s edition and recording of complete piano sonatas by W. A. Mozart (2-volume edition and recordings, Schirmer Performance Editions) was released in the fall of 2023. Other recent releases include the complete piano works by George Walker in 2 CDs with Naxos (2024). A performance edition of the same works published by Keiser Southern Music will follow in 2026, in addition to an all-Prokofiev CD with Naxos. Soloist appearances in past seasons include the Eugene Symphony, the Austin Symphony, Porto Alegre Symphony in Brazil, in addition to the West Coast premiere of George Walker’s piano concerto with the University of Oregon Philharmonia. In 2025, he had his Central American debut during the Costa Rica Piano Festival, and in 2026, Dossin returned to Brazil for appearances as a soloist (Khatchaturian’s Piano Concerto) in several states, and as a faculty/artist in the largest musical festival in Latin America (FEMUSC).

Dossin’s work was praised in reviews by Gramophone, Diapason, The Financial Times, Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide, Clavier, and other international publications. Dossin is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Oregon Piano Institute, Vice President of the American Liszt Society, and one of the recipients of the prestigious Faculty Fund for Excellence at the University of Oregon. www.dossin.net

9th Annual San Francisco International Piano Festival

TNTeague Duo: Steelpan & Piano Masterworks

Liam Teague, steelpan
Jaden Teague-Núñez, steelpan & piano

The festival welcomes father and son duo Liam Teague and Jaden Teague-Núñez in their festival debut, featuring the endlessly varied and colorful music for steelpan and piano. Active in performance, composition, and education, Liam Teague is renowned as a virtuoso leader on his instrument. Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University, Mr. Teague directs the internationally acclaimed NIU Steelband. Rising star Jaden Teague-Núñez has already established himself as a prominent voice in the music world through his performances with the Chicago Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and his solo and duo performances broadcast internationally.

The San Francisco International Piano Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Ross McKee Foundation.

About the artists

Liam Teague is Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and leads the renowned NIU Steelband. He is the recipient of an NIU Board of Trustees Professorship Award (2022); Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor Award (2018); and an Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award (2023).

Hailed as the “Paganini of the Steelpan”, he has received several honors from Trinidad and Tobago, his country of birth, including the Hummingbird National Award (Silver), the Ansa McAl Caribbean Award for Excellence, and the Keys to the City of San Fernando.  In 2024, the Fox Valley Orchestra honored Teague with its Champion of the Arts award.

As a soloist, Teague has performed with diverse ensembles such as: National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony, Czech National Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Panama National Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Vermeer String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Hannaford Street Silver Brass Ensemble, River City Brass Band, Nexus, Dartmouth Wind Ensemble, Indiana University Symphonic Band, and the BpTT Renegades Steel Orchestra. Teague has also collaborated with Grammy-Award winning musicians Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Samuels, Zakir Hussain and Dame Evelyn Glennie, and regularly concertizes with the steelpan and harp duo Pangelic, which he founded with Faye Seeman.  Liam has also appeared at several Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and international educational institutions.

Many of his compositions and arrangements are published with Panademy, MaumauMusic, RamajayMusic, and Wendeln Music Works. Teague has commissioned several outstanding composers to write for the steelpan; these include Michael Colgrass, Jan Bach, Libby Larsen, Andy Akiho, Deborah Fisher Teason, Joey Sellers, Ben Wahlund, Erik Ross, Kevin Bobo, David Gordon, Robert Chappell, Geof Bradfield, Casey Cangelosi, Gustavo Leone, Victor Provost, Etienne Charles, James Gourlay, and Reggie Thomas.

He is also the author of a steelpan method for beginners published by the Hal Leonard Corporation and has created arrangements for Panorama -the most celebrated steelband competition in the world. Teague has many recordings to his credit including Hands Like Lightning, Open Window, and Sorcerer.

Jaden Teague-Núñez is 18 years old and was born in Panama City, Panama. The son of Trinidadian and Panamanian parents, he began studying steelpan and piano at age 8 and 10, respectively.

He became the first steelpan soloist in the world to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after winning the CSO’s Crain-Maling Foundation Young Artists Competition in 2024. In 2025, he was named YoungArts Winner with Distinction (classical percussion) by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. His work has been covered by Chicago’s WGN-Television and in several newspapers which include the Trinidad Newsday and The Guardian.

Jaden has guested with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Fox Valley Orchestra, Wheaton Municipal Band, and the Northern Illinois University Steelband, and he has performed for the Nassau Music Society in the Bahamas and the 50th anniversary of Crop Over in Barbados. Teague-Núñez has played at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and at the 2023 Tuba Bach Festival and concertizes with his father Liam Teague as the duo TNTeague. He has also collaborated with virtuoso pianist Jodie Desalvo on her Piano Talks concert series. Jaden also practices mixed martial arts at United Elite MMA.

9th Annual San Francisco International Piano Festival

Festival Finale: Symphonic Dances

Elizabeth Dorman, piano (Festival debut)
Jeffrey LaDeur, piano
Liam Teague, steelpan
Jaden Teague-Núñez, steelpan & piano

George Gershwin Cuban Overture for 2 pianos
Kevin Bobo Rhapsody in Steel
Liam Teague A Visit to Hell
Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances for 2 pianos

The festival concludes its kaleidoscopic journey with a program of dazzling musical fireworks. Beginning with Gershwin’s irresistible Cuban Overture for two pianos, the program includes performances from Liam Teague and Jaden Teague-Núnez that showcase the versatility and virtuosity of the steelpan. The festival will close with Rachmaninoff’s final masterpiece, the Symphonic Dances (1940). Written while Rachmaninoff was living in the United States, it would prove to be his last major composition. This two-piano score was given its private premiere with the composer and Vladimir Horowitz in Beverly Hills in August of 1942. Originally subtitled Noon, Twilight, and Midnight, the three movements of this expansive work weave together driving rhythms of city life, endlessly beautiful melodies, shadowy chromaticism, and allusions to Rachmaninoff’s own first symphony with the Dies Irae chant that haunted his music throughout his life.

The festival is proud to welcome Elizabeth Dorman to the stage in her festival debut. A San Francisco native, Ms. Dorman has performed nationally and abroad to great acclaim, including appearances with the Leipzig Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, as keyboardist with the San Francisco Symphony, and as recitalist and chamber musician at prominent venues including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Banff Centre. Dorman is joined by founder and artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur, pianist and educator known for his musical leadership and compelling performance style. Don’t miss this thrilling conclusion to the season!

The San Francisco International Piano Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Ross McKee Foundation.

About the artists

Praised by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle for her “elegance and verve,” pianist Elizabeth Dorman enjoys performing music both new and old as a soloist and chamber musician. A prizewinner of the 2018 Leipzig International Bach Competition and the 2017 Pro Musicis Father Merlet Award, Elizabeth has been widely recognized as a leading performer for her inquisitive interpretations of Bach’s music on the modern piano. Elizabeth has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Louisville Orchestra, the Leipzig Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the California Symphony, the Vallejo Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Folsom Lake Symphony, the Stanford Summer Symphony, Symphony Parnassus, as a soloist for interdisciplinary projects at New World Symphony, and she can be heard regularly performing as guest Keyboard at the San Francisco Symphony. She has recorded for Navona and Delos records, including as a soloist with Santa Rosa Symphony. Elizabeth was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University where she studied with Gilbert Kalish.

Jeffrey LaDeur is known for his rare blend of insight, spontaneity, and approachable, communicative stage presence. Clic Musique Magazine (France) lauded “… an irreproachable legato, a beautiful palette of nuances, and an always well-balanced sound.” Having inherited a rich tradition of pianism and interpretation from Annie Sherter, student of Vlado Perlemuter and Alfred Cortot, LaDeur has established himself as a compelling exponent of classic and new repertoire. In March of 2018, LaDeur made his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall on the centennial of Claude Debussy’s death. He appears regularly with orchestra and maintains a repertoire of over 40 concerti. LaDeur is the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco International Piano Festival and president of the American Liszt Society, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

2023-2024 season highlights include engagements at the International Piano Series, College of Charleston, Mendocino Music Festival Piano Series, Rossmoor Chamber Music Society, and the Vallejo Symphony led by Marc Taddei. LaDeur’s most recent solo recording features music of Liszt and was released by Music & Arts in April of 2022. Critic Henry Fogel wrote, “The beauty of his coloration, the rightness of his phrasing, and his sensitive dynamic shaping, all draw the listener into Liszt’s world.” A chamber musician of distinction, Jeffrey’s collaboration with mezzo soprano Kindra Scharich has produced To My Distant Beloved, an album exploring the connections between Beethoven and Schumann through cycles in song and solo piano works. LaDeur has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Robert Mann, Bonnie Hampton, Ian Swensen, Axel Strauss, Geoff Nuttall, and the Alexander String Quartet.

An active educator, Jeffrey offers masterclasses frequently as guest artist in universities throughout the United States and coaches gifted pre-college piano and string ensembles at Young Chamber Musicians in Burlingame, California. LaDeur holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory of Music in piano performance and chamber music, respectively. Jeffrey counts among his teachers Mark Edwards, Douglas Humpherys, Yoshikazu Nagai, and Robert McDonald.

JeffreyLaDeur.com SFPIANO.OR

Liam Teague is Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and leads the renowned NIU Steelband. He is the recipient of an NIU Board of Trustees Professorship Award (2022); Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor Award (2018); and an Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award (2023).

Hailed as the “Paganini of the Steelpan”, he has received several honors from Trinidad and Tobago, his country of birth, including the Hummingbird National Award (Silver), the Ansa McAl Caribbean Award for Excellence, and the Keys to the City of San Fernando.  In 2024, the Fox Valley Orchestra honored Teague with its Champion of the Arts award.

As a soloist, Teague has performed with diverse ensembles such as: National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony, Czech National Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Panama National Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Vermeer String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Hannaford Street Silver Brass Ensemble, River City Brass Band, Nexus, Dartmouth Wind Ensemble, Indiana University Symphonic Band, and the BpTT Renegades Steel Orchestra. Teague has also collaborated with Grammy-Award winning musicians Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Samuels, Zakir Hussain and Dame Evelyn Glennie, and regularly concertizes with the steelpan and harp duo Pangelic, which he founded with Faye Seeman.  Liam has also appeared at several Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and international educational institutions.

Many of his compositions and arrangements are published with Panademy, MaumauMusic, RamajayMusic, and Wendeln Music Works. Teague has commissioned several outstanding composers to write for the steelpan; these include Michael Colgrass, Jan Bach, Libby Larsen, Andy Akiho, Deborah Fisher Teason, Joey Sellers, Ben Wahlund, Erik Ross, Kevin Bobo, David Gordon, Robert Chappell, Geof Bradfield, Casey Cangelosi, Gustavo Leone, Victor Provost, Etienne Charles, James Gourlay, and Reggie Thomas.

He is also the author of a steelpan method for beginners published by the Hal Leonard Corporation and has created arrangements for Panorama -the most celebrated steelband competition in the world. Teague has many recordings to his credit including Hands Like Lightning, Open Window, and Sorcerer.

Jaden Teague-Núñez is 18 years old and was born in Panama City, Panama. The son of Trinidadian and Panamanian parents, he began studying steelpan and piano at age 8 and 10, respectively.

He became the first steelpan soloist in the world to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after winning the CSO’s Crain-Maling Foundation Young Artists Competition in 2024. In 2025, he was named YoungArts Winner with Distinction (classical percussion) by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. His work has been covered by Chicago’s WGN-Television and in several newspapers which include the Trinidad Newsday and The Guardian.

Jaden has guested with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Fox Valley Orchestra, Wheaton Municipal Band, and the Northern Illinois University Steelband, and he has performed for the Nassau Music Society in the Bahamas and the 50th anniversary of Crop Over in Barbados. Teague-Núñez has played at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and at the 2023 Tuba Bach Festival and concertizes with his father Liam Teague as the duo TNTeague. He has also collaborated with virtuoso pianist Jodie Desalvo on her Piano Talks concert series. Jaden also practices mixed martial arts at United Elite MMA.

Mike Greensill & Friends

Celebrating Greensill’s 80th birthday and 40th anniversary of performing at Old First Concerts

Mike Greensill, piano

with special guests:

Roberta Donnay, vocals
Kellie Fuller, vocals
Gale Terminello, vocals
Noel Jewkes, saxes
Bill Klingelhoffer, French horn
Ruth Davies, bass
Brad Buethe, guitar

Acclaimed jazz pianist, arranger, and accompanist Mike Greensill will mark two milestones with a special all-star concert at Old First Concerts. The performance celebrates Greensill’s 80th birthday, which falls on September 5, as well as his 40th year performing in the Old First Concerts series.

A beloved figure in the Bay Area jazz community since arriving from England in 1977, Greensill is known for his decades-long collaboration as musical director and accompanist for his late wife, renowned vocalist Wesla Whitfield with whom he recorded 20 albums. Throughout his distinguished career he has played at many of San Francisco’s most heralded clubs, bars and honky tonks, including The Plush Room, Feinstein’s at The Nikko, Stars, The Washbag, Moose’s, and more, and has shared the stage and recording studio with an impressive roster of musicians, many of whom will join him for this special anniversary performance.

Featured vocalists include Roberta Donnay, whose recent CD Blossoming—a tribute to Blossom Dearie—was arranged and performed by Greensill; Kellie Fuller, a frequent collaborator with Greensill in performances at the Blue Note in Napa and Gale Terminello, whose latest recording with Greensill is titled I’m Old Fashioned.

The concert will also reunite Greensill with renowned multi-instrumentalist Noel Jewkes. In 1991, Mike and Noel recorded the critically acclaimed album American Lullaby. Together, they will revisit selections from that celebrated recording. A special highlight of the afternoon will feature French horn virtuoso Bill Klingelhoffer, principal horn with San Francisco Opera. Greensill famously incorporated a quartet of horns led by Klingelhoffer on Wesla Whitfield’s album Livin’ on Love, and Klingelhoffer will perform several selections during the concert.

Anchoring the rhythm section will be two of Greensill’s longtime musical colleagues: acclaimed bassist Ruth Davies and guitarist Brad Buethe, whose artistry and sensitivity have made them valued collaborators over the years.

For jazz enthusiasts and longtime admirers alike, this special event celebrates the beginning of Greensill’s ninth decade and forty years of appearances with Old First Concerts, offering a rare opportunity to experience a gathering of some of the Bay Area’s finest musicians honoring one of its most cherished artists.