Signature Music Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

YANG AND OLIVIA

JANUARY 11 @ 3PM Chinese Lunar New Year with Yang and Olivia

Husband and wife duo Yang and Olivia are virtuosic talents who create an unforgettable storytelling event on violin and piano. Their programs feature combinations of Chinese music and Western classical. They have traveled to more than 30 cities in the United States, and perform and teach in China, Portugal, Brazil, and Taiwan. Yang Liu is a prize winner of the Twelfth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and a first prize winner of China’s National Violin Competition. Dr. I-Hsuan Tsai was the staff pianist of world-renowned Aspen Music Festival and currently serves as chair of Theory and Piano and associate professor at VanderCook College of Music. Her book “Schubert’s Piano Trios” was published by Scholar’s Press in Germany in 2014. She co-founded Yang and Olivia Foundation to promote cultural exchange via classical music between China and the US.

RJ SPANGLER

FEBRUARY 8 @ 2PM Mardi Gras with the Paxton/Spangler Band

Lifelong buddies RJ Spangler & Tbone Paxton started working together in 1980 around Detroit with the Sun Messengers. They toured the east coast, Midwest and deep south for a number of years. Tbone was awarded a Motor City Music Award for best trombonist. In fact, he has been nominated a number of years in a row now as best jazz vocalist at the Detroit Music Awards. The two are cornerstone members of the 10 pc Planet D Nonet, and as such, have toured to 11 states, released as many CDs and garnered 9 Detroit Music Awards. They perform great song by Fats Waller, Hoagie Carmichael, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Earl King, Danny Barker, Duke Ellington, The Stylistics, Roy Ayers, Leon Russell, Jimmy Cliff, Nat King Cole and of course, Louis Jordan. RJ was pianist/singer Eddie Bo's bandleader for many years. 7

MONTHLY MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

Please consult your CareMerge calendars and weekly announcements for specific dates and times. All programming subject to change based on COVID-related recommendations to maintain health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors.

YUTA SUGANO December 2nd

Hailed as “poetic and colorful,” pianist Yuta Sugano is rapidly gaining international recognition and he has appeared as a soloist in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, and the U.S. Yuta began his piano studies at the age of five, and by age twelve he made his concerto debut performing with the Kansai Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Japan. He has since been a recipient of numerous prizes and scholarships including Meiko Miyazawa Award, Yamaha President’s Award (Japan), Nodar Gabunia Award, Glenn E. LeClair Graduate Piano Award (USA), and Zodiac Music Academy’s Chamber Musician Award (France). Yuta is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, B.M., University of Michigan, M.M., and the University of Kansas, DMA. He is a native of Kyoto, Japan. Yuta currently teaches at Steinway Arts Academy, and is an Artist in Residence at Steinway Piano Gallery of Detroit.

EAT IT UP TRIO - NEW YEARS EVE December 31st

Detroit-based and undeniably swinging, the Eat It Up Trio is Michigan’s premier professional purveyor of possibly the most pleasurable music three humans can safely perform within the parameters of the law. Comprised of drummer Sean Perlmutter, bassist Trevor Lamb, and pianist/vocalist Mike Harrison, the Eat It Up trio delivers original songs and arrangements with a versatile repertoire centered in jazz but covering the continuum of American music. For this performance, they will be joined by trumpeter and vocalist Dave Vessella who will add a layer of swing, soul, and sophistication to the proceedings.

KELLY AND DARRYL ROENICKE - VIOLIN AND PIANO DUO January 9th

Kelly Roenicke is an active teacher and performer in Detroit’s metropolitan area. Her résumé includes previous performances with the following artists: Richard Marx, Anne Murray, Celtic Thunder, Il Divo, Mannheim Steamroller, Amy Grant, and Regis Philbin. She is a longtime member of the Terra Voce Ensemble, which performs multiple chamber music concerts throughout the year. She received a M.M., Violin Performance, from University of Cincinnati, and a B.M., Violin Performance, Western Michigan University. Darryl Roenicke received his M.M., Jazz Studies, from Indiana University, and a B.M., Jazz Studies, Western Michigan University. He is an