Neck of the Woods: March-April 2021 Lineup

 

ARTS Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre are pleased to present a virtual version of the usually live-audience Neck of the Woods performance series.

This virtual  series is comprised of seven mini-shows that will be released on the Renaissance Centre’s social media at 7:00 p.m. on consecutive Monday nights from March 1 thorough April 12. The shows will remain available for later viewing.

The virtual Neck of the Woods series features a terrific lineup of talented local performers:

• • March 1: Harmonia Piano Quartet (Leadership Ensemble with the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute)
  • March 8: Debbie Dunn & Harry Tueting (Country Music, vocals & guitar
  • March 15: Masha Maddux (Solo Dance, Wake Forest Dance Festival discussion with Pam Stevens)
  • March 22: Alison Staples (Musical Theater)
  • March 29: Jazz Xpressions (Soft Jazz) featuring Lydia Salett Dudley with Lou Padro on guitar
  • April 5: Don McNeill (Mark Twain Scholar/Performer)
  • April 12: Ronald Williams (Jazz/Gospel Piano Solos)

Harmonía Piano Quartet (Leena Hocutt Duarte, violin; Lauren Southwell, viola; Sophia Knappe, cello and Hrishikesh Ram, piano)

The Harmonía Piano Quartet is a Leadership Ensemble with the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute. These experienced and dedicated young artists studied and performed the challenging music of diverse composers. For the Neck of the Woods performance series,  they will perform the exciting and dramatic Quartet for Piano and Strings by Joaquin Turina, a Spanish Composer. The Harmonía musicians are: Leena Hocutt Duarte, violin; Lauren Southwell, viola; Sophia Knappe, cello and Hrishikesh Ram, piano. Two of these musicians were recently selected for the elite National Youth Orchestra, including a residency at Carnegie Hall and nation-wide tour of the United States.

NCCMI is a unique and powerful chamber music training program where students learn to play great music together without a conductor. Chamber Music as an art form teaches musical and technical skills as well as leadership and confidence in a unique way.

In partnership with Chamber Music Raleigh and the North Carolina Symphony, NCCMI offers students (primarily aged 7-19) the benefits of weekly sessions, master classes, workshops and programming with world-class musician/ teachers including members of the NC Symphony and visiting artists.

Visit The Harmonía Piano Quartet Facebook page or NCCMI YouTube Channel for more information.

Debbie Dunn & Harry Tueting (Country Music, vocals by Debbie Dunn accompanied by Harry Tueting on guitar)

 

Debbie Dunn joined the Town of Wake Forest in September 2019 as the Manager for the Renaissance Centre for the Arts. Prior to working for the Town, Dunn served for eight years as the Cultural Arts and Events Manager for the Town of Garner. There she established the “It’s Showtime!” performance series, managed several Town events and worked with community partners on a variety of public art projects. Dunn’s signature event in Garner was the Scotty McCreery Homecoming Concert for the 2011 American Idol television show which attracted over 18,000 fans to Garner’s Lake Benson park and featured McCreery and recording artist Josh Turner. Later that year she was named “Tarheel of the Week” by the News & Observer. She served as production manager, emcee, and performer for the Country Music Showcase at Johnston Community College from 1999 to 2011. The Country Music Showcase was a local talent show that attracted performers from all over North Carolina and entertained over 10,000 audience members each year.

Dunn’s love of music and theater began in high school where she was the lead in several musicals and participated in chorus. From there she attended Meredith College and earned a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in Musical Theater in 1991. After college, Dunn was a professional performer with the Village Dinner Theater and fronted the Debbie Elam Band that toured throughout the Southeastern US. Dunn sites opening for the Charlie Daniels Band as a highlight of her singing career.

Debbie is delighted to dust off the vocal cords to participate with Arts Wake Forest’s Neck of the Woods.

Harry Teuting fell in love with the guitar at a family reunion when he was nine. A rare evening in the company of only cousins, out came a guitar and for a few hours all shared songs and stories. Inspired by the magic of the night, Harry found the nerve to ask his parents for a guitar and through a friend found a teacher, and since that day there have been few days that did not include music.

At UNC, Harry earned a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration Folklore. Through these studies he learned about oral history and the importance of oral traditions, and music. He started performing in college, and since, has been in folk, rock, blues, and country bands. He has travelled and performed throughout the South and has been featured on several album projects. The best results were his livelihood, Harry’s Guitar Shop, and meeting and marrying the love of his life, Debbie Dunn while playing guitar for her country band.

Masha Maddux (Solo Dance, along with a discussion about the Wake Forest Dance Festival with Festival co-founder Pam Stevens)

Masha Dashkina Maddux is a professional concert dance performer and a dance educator. A native of Kiev, Ukraine she was first introduced to dance through the classical Vaganova ballet technique. After moving to the United States she studied at the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet of Miami, FL and ultimately graduated summa cum laude with her BFA from New World School of the Arts. Ms. Maddux joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2007 and rose to the rank of Principal Dancer, performing major roles in classical Graham repertoire along with works created by some of the most influential contemporary choreographers. Ms. Maddux was featured in Dance Magazine’s “Dancer’s Choice”, and also appeared in projects including the feature film Fall to Rise, and in a Martha Graham Dance Technique Beginning Level instructional video. In addition to performing, she has collaborated with photographers to capture the art of dance. Most recently her images were selected for the cover of the Dior Magazine issue #26 and The Art of Movement.

Ms. Maddux is the Founder and Artistic Director  of the Wake Forest Dance Festival based in the Town of Wake Forest, NC. The Festival is a free and open to the public day of dance which features national and regional professional dancers along with local rising advanced dance performers. Ms. Maddux is an ambassador for the Dancing Angels Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that provides scholarships to help passionate and committed young dancers fulfill their dreams. Ms. Maddux is one of the founding members of Movement Migration, a dance collective based in Charlotte, NC. In the summer of 2018 she was the recipient of the Alto Jonio Best Dancer Award in Calabria, Italy. Ms. Maddux is honored to have had the opportunity to join the American Dance Festival faculty during the summer of 2019 to co-stage a work created by Martha Graham.

Instagram @mashamaddux

Alison Staples (Musical Theater Vocals)

Alison Staples is a 16 year old girl who loves Harry Potter and listening to music. She has been a part of many productions that she is proud of. Some of her favorite roles include playing Princess Fiona in “Shrek the Musical” at Lakeland Theatre Company and Wake Forest Middle School. She also played Annie in “Annie” at WFMS and Lady Macbeth. At Lakeland, she also played Genie in “Aladdin” and Wendy in “Peter Pan”. At her high school she has been a part of “Freaky Friday” as a part of the ensemble and “Footloose” which was in the works before quarantine. She was meant to play Wendy Jo but the show was cancelled due to Covid. But some of her favorite productions have been with the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory where she performed in “Pippin” and “Bring it On”, also a part of the ensemble. She also has been a part of some things around the community since all this started. Most recently, she performed for North Carolina Theatre’s Backstage series and has also been a part of NCT’s “All In” series. In the fall, Alison was a tour guide for Downtown Wake Forest’s “Spirits of Wake Forest” Halloween event. Alison is so excited to participate in “Neck of the Woods” and is extremely grateful for the opportunity!

See Alison on North Carolina Theater’s Back Stage@NCT and All In Community Conversations.

Jazz Xpressions (Soft Jazz) featuring Lydia Salett Dudley with Lou Padro on guitar

 

Lydia Salett Dudley is a jazz/soul pianist/vocalist. She is a Cleveland, Ohio native who received her musical influence from her mother a pianist at her family Baptist Church.  She studied under and was influenced by Ed Paolantonio, Dr. Stephen Anderson and Dr. Ira Wiggins which culminated in her receiving a graduate degree in jazz composition from North Carolina Central University.

She has collaborated with national and international artists resulting in recordings comprised of arranged jazz standards, popular and smooth jazz songs.  She has performed at various festivals, private and public events.  One of Lydia’s most memorable opportunities was having the privilege of performing alongside various female recording artists at the childhood home of Nina Simone in Tryon, NC, which was declared a national treasure. Lydia has several recordings including original compositions that are available in CD format and download.  Please visit LYDIASALETTDUDLEY.COM or Carolina jazz girl on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

Lou Padro is a Raleigh area jazz guitarist where he is a featured soloist playing electric and acoustic guitars, plus guitar synthesizer.  Most often, Lou performs with Lydia Salett Dudley as part of her group, Jazz Xpressions.  Lou is also a featured performer with Fuze Alliance, The Moon and The Stars, headed by Ed Moon on bass guitar.  Lou also plays extensive guitar-sax duo engagements with saxophonists Tim Smith, Mike Minguez, and Bobby Moody, vocalists Amy Hancock, Autumn Rain and Peggy Hays, and several other instrumentalists. Most recently Lou has taken on more opportunities `as a solo guitarist.

 

Don McNeill (Mark Twain Scholar/Performer)

Donald McNeill is a Mark Twain scholar/performer. He has appeared more than 100 times in venues that include conventions, universities, corporate and civic events. Don appears as the great writer both in appearance and speaking style. In 2014 Don won the N.C. Humorous Speech contest with a Mark Twain inspired speech. He was born in Twain’s Missouri and grew up with a love of America’s greatest writer and humorous speaker. He is looking forward to performing for the Renaissance Center in Wake Forest, N.C.

Ronald Williams (Jazz/Classical/Gospel Piano Solos)

Ronald Williams has lived on the northeast side of Wake Forest ALL his life – indeed, since 1942!

His mother encouraged him to start playing the piano from the age of four taking lessons with Joyce Alston as his first (local) teacher followed by Minnie Hazelwood in Franklinton when he turned nine years old – the same time he entered DuBois High School from which he eventually graduated in 1959.

Despite being classically trained, Ronald is a spiritual man and likes to “praise the lord” whenever he can – he was also no stranger to “rock and roll” when he toured the state accompanying Irving Fuller and The Corvettes during much of the sixties. No wonder when one of his church leader’s felt that despite being a fine pianist, his hymn playing sometimes had a bit “too much jazz”!

Ronald has performed at the Governor’s Mansion on four separate occasions, twice for James Hunt and once each for James Holhouser and Terry Sanford.

“It’s never too late to learn” he says, and in this respect, amongst his many achievements, Ronald earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in music performance from North Carolina Central University in 1992 when he had just turned fifty years old!

At the Neck of the Woods performance series, Ronald will be showing his versatility along with his “spiritual self” by performing four quite different works… Starting with the hymn, “By and By” written by Dr. Charles Tindley, then two piano classics: “Polonaise in A-Major” by Frederic Chopin and “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin and then end with the very soulful “Order My Steps” by Glenn Burleigh. We hope you enjoy hearing them as much as he enjoys performing them (as you will see)!