Sue Hassel sings “A potpourri of Song, Opera and Oratorio and MORE…” with Michael Jay Scales at the piano
Free, 3pm

Sue Hassel, Soprano, pianist, dancer, painter and writer. Once again I have to thank the congregation of Christ & St. Stephens and more immediately once again, the audience who came to my June 2015 piano recital. Without your presence and action I would not be alive. Without the sustained support emotionally of the congregation I would not have gone on, turned the corner and kept going. Past history: B.M. & M.M., UW Wisconsin, Madison. A stint in Europe with a top agent who really did not look out for my mild COPD – I left him after a gig in Bulgaria and my fifth case of pneumonia and came to NYC where there are provisions to protect people with insipient health problems. I have performed the roles of the Ballo Amelia (raved in OPERA NEWS); Norma, Tosca, Aida, Trovatore Leonora, Queen of the Night (yes really?!), Lady Macbeth (Verdi), Fiordiligi, a large concert of Richard Strauss where I sang all of the big Elektra excerpts plus many, many recitals as a pianist and singer + an absurd 2 hour special on Japanese TV!?

Michael Scales has been hailed as a pianist with “heroic vigor,” and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician for dance across the country and internationally. He currently serves as Music Director for New York Theatre Ballet, and has been featured by the New York Times and the Epoch Times for his role as the company’s pianist. An advocate of new art, Mr. Scales has been involved in the process and performance of numerous new works of music and choreography, including premieres by Richard Alston, Gemma Bond, Nicolo Fonte, Antonia Franceschi, and Pam Tanowitz, and has performed with dancers and musicians from New York City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pam Tanowitz Dance, and The Bang Group. Mr. Scales holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kutztown University, where he studied under Dr. Maria Asteriadou, and a Master of Music from James Madison University, where he studied under Dr. Lori Piitz.