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Claudia Russell, a celebrated California troubadour, and her husband Bruce Kaplan, a master of electric guitar and mandolin, form an enchanting duo that brings a tapestry of Americana sounds to life. With Claudia’s angelic voice and Bruce’s intricate accompaniments, they create music that resonates with both the heart and soul. Based in the Bay Area, Claudia and Bruce take their audiences on a musical odyssey through the diverse landscapes of American music. Their journey pays homage to the iconic sounds of Laurel Canyon, the historic folk of Greenwich Village, the soulful essence of blues divas, and the rustic charm of Bakersfield’s country scene. At the core of this journey is Claudia’s evocative voice, her skillful guitar playing, and their shared talent for storytelling through music. Since their debut in 2000, this dynamic duo has captivated listeners in over 1000 performances across the United States, from intimate clubs to major festivals and everything in between. Their music, known for its genuine emotion and captivating melodies, has not only thrilled live audiences but has also been celebrated in esteemed circles. Claudia has twice been a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition, and their artistry has been recognized in American Songwriter, Sing Out, and even on NPR’s All Things Considered. As they prepare to grace the stage at Rancho La Puerta, Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan promise an unforgettable musical experience that harmonizes the spirit of Americana with the charm of this Mexican paradise. Their performance will be a journey through song, inviting listeners to explore the richness of American music and the intimate stories that make their artistry so unique. Join us for an evening of soul-stirring music and discover why Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan are not just performers but true musical storytellers.

” . . and the love between the singer, who sings the song well, and truly, and the audience, which has been waiting for the song, and knows it when they hear it, is a true love.” -Malvina Reynolds

Some of the best discoveries are made by accident and that’s what happened in the fusion of the musical talents of Judi Jaeger and Bob Reid. They unwittingly found that perfect harmony while standing next to each other at a music camp jam in the summer of 2015. Their musical spark quickly caught fire and was noticed by those around them – and the successful collaboration between Jaeger and Reid was born. Judi grew up near Montreal, Canada, where her world was filled with music; her mother and brother sang and played guitar and she listened to Leonard Cohen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger and many others. She began her career as a performing songwriter as an expression of her loss after the death of her mother and has written songs for her local domestic violence prevention organization. Bob is a fourth generation Californian, and like Judi, Bob also grew up surrounded by music. Bob’s mom performed in coffeehouses in the 1960’s, while his father was a gospel concert promoter. Bob has been a California Arts Council Artists in Schools, performed at the United Nations in New York, in concert, at festivals and in schools across the United States. His original songs have been sung by Pete Seeger, Bill Harley, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer and many others. Bob was chosen by the Seeger family to perform at memorial concerts for both Pete and Toshi Seeger in New York. Bob has a keen eye for musicality, empowerment, appreciation of nature and social causes in his writing. Jaeger & Reid have been performing around the United States, in Canada and France in a variety of venues, indoors and out, including house concerts.

Classics and Originals for Flute and Piano
Enjoy an entertaining evening of beautiful classical and original music for flute, piano, and exotic winds. The musical selections will represent a variety of styles, and will range from poignant lyricism to brilliant virtuosity. To enhance the listening experience, Natalie and Brice will also include interesting commentary about the music and the lives of the composers.

Musical Meditation
Come relax and enjoy a collection of miniature musical gems, performed by Natalie Dalschaert, pianist, and Brice Martin, flutist. The selections are brief yet beautiful, and are chosen for their calming, soothing qualities. Savor this meditative musical interlude following your morning classes, and before heading off to lunch.

Pianist Natalie Dalschaert has performed on television, coached actors and has been a production musician for the shows Star Trek: The Next Generation, Perfect Strangers, JAG, Wings, and Song of the Lark. Ms. Dalschaert has performed on many concert series with her husband, flutist Brice Martin. Performances include the Sundays at Four radio broadcasts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Redlands Bowl, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Tech and for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Committee concerts. A lover of musical theater, Natalie has been musical director and pianist for numerous shows with the Los Angeles Youth Theater. Additional concerto performances include appearances with the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra and the Toulouse Orchestra in France. Natalie is a sought after pianist and accompanist for recitals, competitions, master classes and social events. Natalie has an active teaching studio and is a member of the Music Teachers Association of California. A number of her students have won concerto competitions and MTAC festivals. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School in New York and her Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California, where she received the Koldofsky Memorial Scholarship.  As a student in Philadelphia, Natalie entered competitions and appeared as soloist twice with The Philadelphia Orchestra and also with the Haddonfield Symphony and the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra. At the Interlochen Centers for the Arts, she received the Van Cliburn Scholarship. Natalie studied with Jacob Lateiner as an undergraduate student at the Juilliard School in New York. In her second year, she won a Juilliard Concerto Competition and performed the Beethoven Concerto No. 1 at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Symphony. Upon graduation from USC, Natalie received an Outstanding Graduate of the Year Award.

Brice Martin’s formal training includes degrees from The Julliard School and the University of Southern California. He is an active studio musician and plays for film, TV and commercial soundtracks. He has played for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Grammy Awards Orchestra, Star Trek: Voyager, and the Wonderful World of Disney. Brice is also a composer and has written music for film and television. He specializes in woodwinds and has a large collection of exotic woodwinds from around the world. 

Latin Fire: Exotic Dance Music for Four Hands, One Piano
Duo Mundi George & Guli thrill audiences around the world with their innovative, diverse programming style of sensual Latin-inspired music. George Lopez & Gulimina Mahamuti explore music for one piano, four hands in the standard and contemporary repertoire, as well as commissioning new works by national and international composers. With an adrenaline of communication that captivates theatergoers of every generation, the unique duo creates beautifully synchronized performances that engage both the eye and ear in a dance of emotions.

From Scott Joplin & George Gershwin to Billy Joel, with George Lopez
If you love piano music then come out for a fun and exciting program of solo piano music from the last 150 years to the present. George Lopez has wowed audiences throughout New England and the world with his entertaining and easy performance style, where he brings each piece to life with a dynamic narrative that totally draws in the listener. Some piano favorites will include the great American ragtime composer Scott Joplin, the iconic George Gershwin and the classical stylings of none other than William Martin “Billy” Joel. Not to be missed!

The Robert Beckwith Artist-in-Residence at Bowdoin College, George Lopez, has been a dynamic performer, sought-after pedagogue, and engaging lecturer for over 30 years. Known for his “…kaleidoscopic colors and clarity of conception…” (LA Times) in the standard repertoire as well as being a champion of newly written works, his debut at the renowned Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was lauded as “… authentic and memorable …” by the Nederland’s Dagblad for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations along with all Twenty-Four Preludes of Chopin. He performed worldwide as a soloist in major cities throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Central and South America. George’s extensive performances covers most major U.S. cities, including New York’s Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Ambassador Hall in Los Angeles, the Shao Lin Arts Center in Rockport (Massachusetts), The Cleveland Art Museum, Harvard University, and Tanglewood. After his performance at Lincoln Center, the composer Lowell Liebermann described the performance of his work as “…exciting and decisive!” A featured soloist at many international music festivals throughout Europe and abroad, Mr. Lopez performed at the renowned Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Girona Internacional Festival de Música in Spain, the Kowmung Festival just outside Sydney, Festivale d’Internazionale Solisti e Musica da Camera in Umbria (Italy), and the renowned Latin-American music festival Cubadisco in Havana (Cuba). He also performed as guest soloist with the National Symphony in São Paolo (Brazil), Rose Hall in Osaka, at Asahi Hall in Tokyo.

Gulimina Mahamuti is the first Uyghur from China to receive a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the U.S. She made her Carnegie debut in New York City at Weill Recital Hall and has performed internationally in Montreal, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Budapest (at the invitation of the Turkish Ambassador), and across the U.S. and China, broadcasting on these nations’ radio and TV programs. She has performed piano concerti with the Southeast Kansas Symphony Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and Harbin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and was featured on the radio in San Francisco, Queens College/CUNY podcast, China Touch Radio, and Istanbul Technical University Radio.

Immigration and Opportunity
An extravaganza of four-hand piano music celebrating composers from around the world and the places and experiences that inspired them, with DUO MUNDI GEORGE & GULI.

Duo Mundi George & Guli thrills audiences around the world with their exciting, innovative, diverse, and intimate programming style. They explore music for both one piano four hands and two piano four hands in the standard and contemporary repertoire as well as commissioned new works by national and international composers. Lauded as “…breathing the same artistic air…” with an adrenaline of communication that captivates audiences of every generation, Duo Mundi George & Guli creates beautifully synchronized performances that engage both the eye and ear in a dance of emotions. Since their inception in 2018, Duo Mundi G&G have given standing room only performances of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story for the centenary celebration of the composer’s birth and their two-piano program “Immigration and Opportunity” with works by composers inspired by or writing in foreign lands. They have been invited to perform and give master classes throughout the US including venues in New York City, Kansas, Colorado, California, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma. In their 2022-2023 concert season, they performed in Mexico and premiered their four-hand arrangement of Chinese composer Shi Fu’s Tajik Drum Dance at the 44th International European Piano Teachers’ Association Conference in Portugal. Their upcoming recording projects include Music of the Americas, music written for and/or inspired by children, and a series of newly commissioned and rarely performed works. Duo Mundi G&G have an exciting 2023-2024 concert season with upcoming performances and tours in New England, the Northwest, Florida, North Carolina, the Bay Area, Colorado, Texas, and Mexico. They gave their New York City recital debut at Steinway Hall on April 1, 2023 and hope to complete their 2020 tour of China which was interrupted by the pandemic in 2024.

From Scott Joplin & George Gershwin to Billy Joel, with George Lopez
If you love piano music then come out for a fun and exciting program of solo piano music from the last 150 years to the present. George Lopez has wowed audiences throughout New England and the world with his entertaining and easy performance style, where he brings each piece to life with a dynamic narrative that totally draws in the listener. Some piano favorites will include the great American ragtime composer Scott Joplin, the iconic George Gershwin and the classical stylings of none other than William Martin “Billy” Joel. Not to be missed!

The Robert Beckwith Artist-in-Residence at Bowdoin College, George Lopez, has been a dynamic performer, sought-after pedagogue, and engaging lecturer for over 30 years. Known for his “…kaleidoscopic colors and clarity of conception…” (LA Times) in the standard repertoire as well as being a champion of newly written works, his debut at the renowned Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was lauded as “… authentic and memorable …” by the Nederlands Dagblad for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations along with all Twenty-Four Preludes of Chopin. He performed worldwide as a soloist in major cities throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Central and South America.  George’s extensive performances covers most major U.S. cities, including New York’s Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Ambassador Hall in Los Angeles, the Shao Lin Arts Center in Rockport (Massachusetts), The Cleveland Art Museum, Harvard University, and Tanglewood.  After his performance at Lincoln Center, the composer Lowell Liebermann described the performance of his work as “…exciting and decisive!”  A featured soloist at many international music festivals throughout Europe and abroad, Mr. Lopez performed at the renowned Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Girona Internacional Festival de Música in Spain, the Kowmung Festival just outside Sydney, Festivale d’Internazionale Solisti e Musica da Camera in Umbria (Italy), and the renowned Latin-American music festival Cubadisco in Havana (Cuba). He also performed as guest soloist with the National Symphony in São Paolo (Brazil), Rose Hall in Osaka, at Asahi Hall in Tokyo.

Gulimina Mahamuti is the first Uyghur from China to receive a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the U.S.  She made her Carnegie debut in New York City at Weill Recital Hall and has performed internationally in Montreal, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Budapest (at the invitation of the Turkish Ambassador), and across the U.S. and China, broadcasting on these nations’ radio and TV programs. She has performed piano concerti with the Southeast Kansas Symphony Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and Harbin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and was featured on the radio in San Francisco, Queens College/CUNY podcast, China Touch Radio, and Istanbul Technical University Radio.

A Celebration of the Great American Songbook…music from Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart and Duke Ellington
You’ve Got a Friend! A tribute to the Singer/Songwriters of the 70’s! Music from Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart and Duke Ellington

For over 34 years, two-time EMMY® Award winning composer and performer Dave Powers has been a vital part of the Columbus, Ohio music scene as a pianist, keyboardist, vocalist, entertainer and educator. Dave has traveled and performed nationally and internationally. Dave is a consultant and a frequent guest of the Public Television Show “The Piano Guy” and has taught a series of master classes with “Piano Guy” host Scott Houston. Dave is also an adjunct faculty member of The Ohio State University School of Music. Considered one of the most successful musicians in the Midwest, Dave manages to win over the hearts of all who hear him perform. From concerts to clubs and restaurants to corporate events and private parties, his vast repertoire is as diverse as the audience that he entertains. Dave has performed with noted performers such as Steve Allen, George Benson, Rusty Bryant, Buddy DeFranco, Mark Farner (of Grand Funk Railroad), Eric Gale, Terry Gibbs, Ernie Krivda, Wilbert Longmire, Johnny Lytle, ‘Blue’ Lou Marini (of the Blues Brothers), Joan Rivers, Arturo Sandoval, Grover Washington, Jr. and many others. In addition, Dave is associated with the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus, and performs with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Dave has been hosting a jazz concert series from his home, and has re-located at the Clintonville Woman’s Club called “The House Jazz Concert Series.”

Louis Tsamous grew up in Cambridge, Ohio and began playing the drums at age 10. He has since become one of the most versatile and active musicians in America. He has toured Europe, Asia and the Caribbean and has recorded and performed with jazz artists Stanley Turrentine, Etta Jones, Jimmy McGriff, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David “Fathead” Newman, Joey DeFrancesco and Kevin Mahogany among others. He played in the Ohio State University Jazz Ensemble while a student at OSU and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. In addition to performing with various groups in the Midwest, Louis has done clinics at many high schools and universities across the country. Louis has been touring and recording with jazz organ sensation Tony Monaco since 1999 and is featured on six national releases on The Summit record label.

S’Wonderful!…The Music of George Gershwin and Cole Porter
The Swinging 60’s…a bit of all things musically from the Peace and Love Decade! Music of George Gershwin and Cole Porter.

For over 34 years, two-time EMMY® Award winning composer and performer Dave Powers has been a vital part of the Columbus, Ohio music scene as a pianist, keyboardist, vocalist, entertainer and educator. Dave has traveled and performed nationally and internationally. Dave is a consultant and a frequent guest of the Public Television Show “The Piano Guy” and has taught a series of master classes with “Piano Guy” host Scott Houston. Dave is also an adjunct faculty member of The Ohio State University School of Music. Considered one of the most successful musicians in the Midwest, Dave manages to win over the hearts of all who hear him perform. From concerts to clubs and restaurants to corporate events and private parties, his vast repertoire is as diverse as the audience that he entertains. Dave has performed with noted performers such as Steve Allen, George Benson, Rusty Bryant, Buddy DeFranco, Mark Farner (of Grand Funk Railroad), Eric Gale, Terry Gibbs, Ernie Krivda, Wilbert Longmire, Johnny Lytle, ‘Blue’ Lou Marini (of the Blues Brothers), Joan Rivers, Arturo Sandoval, Grover Washington, Jr. and many others. In addition, Dave is associated with the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus, and performs with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Dave has been hosting a jazz concert series from his home, and has re-located at the Clintonville Woman’s Club called “The House Jazz Concert Series.” davepowers.com.

Louis Tsamous grew up in Cambridge, Ohio and began playing the drums at age 10. He has since become one of the most versatile and active musicians in America. He has toured Europe, Asia and the Caribbean and has recorded and performed with jazz artists Stanley Turrentine, Etta Jones, Jimmy McGriff, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David “Fathead” Newman, Joey DeFrancesco and Kevin Mahogany among others. He played in the Ohio State University Jazz Ensemble while a student at OSU and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. In addition to performing with various groups in the Midwest, Louis has done clinics at many high schools and universities across the country. Louis has been touring and recording with jazz organ sensation Tony Monaco since 1999 and is featured on six national releases on The Summit record label.

Marshall Chapman is a multi-hyphenated American treasure. The singer-songwriter-author-actress was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on January 7, 1949. To date, she has released fourteen critically acclaimed albums. Her 2013 release, Blaze of Glory, was hailed a masterpiece. And the Associated Press proclaimed her most recent Songs I Can’t Live Without (2020) “perhaps her best.” Chapman’s songs have been recorded by everyone from Emmylou Harris and Joe Cocker to Irma Thomas and Jimmy Buffett. In 2010, Chapman landed her first movie role, playing Gwyneth Paltrow’s Road manager in Country Strong. During filming, her musical Good Ol’ Girls (adapted from the fiction of Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle, featuring songs by Matraca Berg and Marshall) opened off-Broadway. That fall, Chapman simultaneously released a book (They Came to Nashville) and CD (Big Lonesome). They Came to Nashville was nominated for the 2011 SIBA Book Award for nonfiction, and the Philadelphia Inquirer named Big Lonesome “Best Country/Roots Album of 2010.” Of her three rockin’ albums for Epic, the Al Kooper-produced Jaded Virgin was voted Record of the Year (1978) by Stereo Review. Her album, It’s About Time… (Island, 1995), recorded live at the Tennessee State Prison for Women, drew rave reviews from Time, USA Today and the Village Voice. Chapman’s first book, Goodbye, Little Rock and Roller (St. Martin’s Press) was a SIBA bestseller, 2004 SIBA Book Award finalist, and one of three finalists for the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. Chapman continues to land film roles:  Mississippi Grind (2015); Lovesong, which garnered glowing reviews at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival; Novitiate, which opened to rave reviews at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Marshall is a contributing editor to Garden & Gun. She’s also written for The Oxford American, Nashville Arts Magazine, Southern Living, W, Performing Songwriter, and The Bob Edwards Show (Sirius/XM). “But music,” she says, “is my first and last love.” Marshall was featured in “Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s” at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, through February 2022. Since Covid, Marshall has been livestreaming every Saturday at 1pm PT (4pm ET). Called “Perfect Imperfection,” these livestreams are free on Facebook at ‘Marshall Chapman Music’.

Internationally renowned guitarist/composer/recording artist Mimi Fox has been recognized in numerous Downbeat Magazine International Critics Polls and has been hailed by writers and colleagues alike as one of the most eloquent guitarists on today’s scene. In one of many feature stories, Jazz Timeshailed Mimi as “a blazing fret master who combines be-bop infused lines with an abundance of soul…spinning solos that unfurl with surprise twists like expertly tailored short stories.”  In a further nod to Mimi’s guitar artistry, and in conjunction with Heritage Guitars’ 30th anniversary, the historic Kalamazoo guitar company has rolled out the Mimi Fox Artist Signature model. Mimi Fox has performed and recorded with many jazz greats, including fellow guitarists Charlie Byrd and Charlie Hunter; Grammy-nominated saxophonists Branford Marsalis and Houston Person; vocalists Abbey Lincoln and Diana Krall; and powerhouse drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. She has also shared the stage with music legend Stevie Wonder. Mimi has toured the world, playing such major festivals as the Montreal, Guinness Cork, Perth International, and Jamaica Spice Jazz Festivals. Stateside, she has headlined at elite venues such as Monterey/Newport Festivals, The Blue Note, The Kennedy Center, Yoshi’s and the Great American Music Hall among countless others.
“Beyond her passion and technical virtuosity, Fox plays with a profundity that only results from a lifetime of commitment and total immersion in one’s art”. – Guitar Player Magazine

Chris’ personal journey throughout the years as a singer and songwriter has helped him explore the miraculous ways that we can use our voices as a source of motivation, change, dissent and healing even when even the faintest of notes ring through. The human voice and the art of songwriting constantly reminds us of the indomitable power of our spirits and our capacity for renewal. Sound is a form of energy, and our voices are our wisdom, courage, fragility, and influence.

At a young age, Chris developed a rare hearing disorder called Otosclerosis that led to the loss of hearing in one ear and partial deafness in the other, a setback that would deter many young musicians forever. The reality, however, fueled his passion and determination even more, forcing him to re-learn almost everything he had known prior. To Chris music was, and still is, an unconditional companion.

For the Rancho La Puerta workshop presentation, Chris will guide the attendees emotionally and theoretically through his songwriting process, and the search for his own authentic voice through music. He’ll share with the attendees the processes of conceptualizing, listening, crafting, recording, and performing original songs that motivate togetherness, civil discourse, and action. He will discuss the inspiration behind my music and perform examples during the workshop of my own original songs. At the end of each concert, we will seek emotional venerability, share ideas, and work on a song together to sing together as a unified chorus of humanity.

In 2023, Chris Pierce was handpicked to be the special guest opener for the NEIL YOUNG Coastal Tour. Recently, he gained additional worldwide prominence with “We Can Always Come Back to This”. His hit co/write aired on 3 episodes of the NBC primetime series ‘THIS IS US,’ then went on to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.  Pierce has also done worldwide headlining tours and has supported: Neil Young, B.B. King, Seal, Al Green, Steve Earle, Allison Russell, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Keb’Mo, Blind Boys of Alabama, Aaron Neville & others.

Other recent highlights include: a solo concert at The Kennedy Center, a ‘Playing for Change’ duet with Sara Bareilles, a sold-out Troubadour concert with Allison Russell, and performance/interviews on NPR’s WORLD CAFÉ, MOUNTAIN STAGE, AMERICAN FOLK SHOW, SoCAL SOUND, and more. Stellar performances at Newport Folk, AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance, Rancho La Puerta Folk Fest, Four Corners Folk, MerleFest & NC Folk Festival led to further acclaim.

His album, ‘AMERICAN SILENCE’ garnered critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, NoDepression, SiriusXM, The Bluegrass Situation, AmericanaUK, Acoustic Guitar and others. PopMatters named ‘AMERICAN SILENCE ’THE #1 Best Folk Album of 2021 and FolkAlley named “Residential School” from AMERICAN SILENCE one of the 100 Essential Folk Songs.

His newest album ‘LET ALL WHO WILL’ was released on September 1, 2023, with critical acclaim from NPR, NoDepression, American Songwriter, Hi Times and more.  In addition to his solo career, Chris Pierce performs/records with both Americana/Folk/Soul sensation WAR & PIERCE with Sunny War, & the Americana/Roots band LEON CREEK.

“One of America’s most talented, gifted, and affecting artists.” – AMERICAN SONGWRITER
“I haven’t been so deeply, deeply moved by just a person and their guitar like this in a long time.” – NPR MUSIC

chrispierce.com