T’each their own

Whether you prefer piano or trombone, ‘Spotlight on the Teachers’ has you covered

Celebrate local music educators during “Spotlight on the Teachers: The Joy of Music,” presented by the Lincoln County District of the Oregon Music Teachers Association this Sunday, Feb. 1.

The annual concert supports the Suzanne Brown Student Scholarship Fund, which helps local students pursue music education.

After more than 25 years on Lincoln County’s music calendar, this year’s concert includes a special highlight: a world premiere by composer Nicole Buetti. Her new work, “Echo in the Void and Back to the Light,” written for contrabass trombone and piano, will be performed by Portland-based trombonist John Ohnstad with local pianist Milo Graamans.

Graamans is the organist and choir director at Yachats Community Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Lincoln Pops. He has performed in multiple pit orchestras for musical productions and performs as a soloist frequently on the coast.

“The Lincoln County district is honored to have this new composition premiere on a Spotlight

Concert,” said district president Jessie Treon. “We hope to have a large number of the community turn out for this special event,”

The program also features a wide-ranging mix of music, including a Baroque Latin motet performed by vocalists Christine McKenney and Gidget Manucci with pianist Ginger Hodge, a cappella folk selections by the Sea Star Sisters, humorous songs by Rita Warton accompanied by Carol Wolfe and a trombone duet by John Warton and Ohnstad.

Piano performances include a Beethoven sonata by Ramona Goddard and a Chopin etude by Cathy Champion-Predmore. Champion-Predmore and Jessie Treon will perform a two-piano version of “Malagueña” by Ernesto Lecuona, followed by a six-hand arrangement of “Oblivion” by Astor Piazzolla with Graamans. The concert concludes with a two-piano, eight-hand finale, “A Scott Joplin Rag Rhapsody” by Kevin R. Olson.

Sunday’s concert begins at 2 pm at the Newport Performing Arts Center, located at 777 W Olive Street. Admission is by donation. For more information, go to omta-lincolncounty.org or call 541-961-0959.