January 14, 2025

[Vancouver, WA. January 14, 2025] – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA’s 2024-2025 Chamber Music Series will continue with the VSO Chamber Ensemble: The Love of Music performance on February 7, 2025 at 7 p.m. Held at First Presbyterian Church, this performance will feature mezzo-soprano, Sarah Maines and VSO musicians, Rachel Rencher, flute, Jonah Thomas, cello, Igor Shakhman, clarinet and Michael Liu, piano.

Presented by Oregon Public Broadcasting, this love-filled program includes one of John Rutter’s most popular masterworks for flute and piano, Suite Antique. Flute enthusiasts will also enjoy the elegance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Romance Op. 37 performed by VSO principal flutist Rachel Rencher. Rencher will be joined by principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman for Saint-Saëns’ Tarantelle Op. 6 for flute and clarinet. The first half of the program further delights with masterworks for cello and piano including David Popper’s Hungarian Rhapsody Op. 68 and the beloved Figaro from Rossini’s Barber of Seville by Castelnuovo-Tedesco performed by VSO cellist Jonah Thomas and pianist Michael Liu.

Adding to the excitement, mezzo-soprano Sarah Maines will join the ensemble with her breathtaking voice for W.A. Mozart’s powerful “Parto, Parto” for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and piano from La Clemenza di Tito, originally commissioned for Leopold II’s coronation as king of Bohemia in 1791.

The VSO Chamber Ensemble’s February performance also features iconic hits like Lorenz Hart-Richard Rodgers’ “My Funny Valentine,” George and Ira Gershwin’s “Love is Here to Stay,” James Taylor’s “Here Comes the Sun,” and Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” among others. From timeless classics to delightful pops, this concert has something for everyone and promises to be a night full of joy and love.

What: VSO Chamber Ensemble: The Love of Music
When: February 7, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St. Vancouver WA. 98663
Tickets: Available at vancouversymphony.org

About Dr. Sarah Maines
Hailed as a “natural, most charming” performer, mezzo-soprano Sarah Maines is equally at home on the operatic stage or behind a microphone. She is a member of the Portland Opera Chorus and a frequent performer with Portland companies such as Broadway Rose, Lakewood Theatre, Mocks Crest Opera, Fear No Music, and Resonance Ensemble. An expert pedagogue with over 20 years of teaching experience, Dr. Maines currently teaches at THE MAINESTUDIO, the University of Portland, and Reed College. In 2013, she moved to Portland, Oregon from Northern Virginia, where she taught hundreds of students at Patrick Henry College, the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy, and Trinity College of Washington. Her students regularly win awards and scholarships, are cast in leading roles, and perform professionally, some with prestigious organizations such as Nation Broadcasting and the Thailand National Symphony Orchestra.

After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice Performance from Berea College, she earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Voice Pedagogy at Shenandoah Conservatory. Dr. Maines guides disordered vocalists back to healthy, free singing. Previously practicing with Dr. Christopher Chang of the Virginia Voice and Speech Center, she is now accepting referrals from the OSHU Voice Clinic, and laryngologist Dr. James Thomas of voicedoctor.net in Portland, Oregon. She also completed specialized training with Dr. Wendy LeBorgne of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and Tom Cleveland of the Vanderbilt Voice Center.

About Rachel Rencher
Rachel Rencher is a freelance flutist in the Portland area. She is the principal flutist for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA and one of its most dedicated musicians, having performed with the VSO for nearly three decades. Additionally, Rencher is a Portland Opera and Portland Chamber Orchestra member. She has performed with the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theater and several area summer music festivals, including the Astoria Festival of Music, Sunriver Music Festival, and the McCall Summer Music Festival. She maintains two active flute studios in the Portland area. She also is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator.

About Jonah Thomas
Jonah Thomas is a cellist living in Portland. He performs with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA and as a chamber musician for Portland Chamber Music. Thomas is the core cellist for Porchello and has played with the Portland State University Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, and others. His teachers have included Marion Feldman, Bonnie Hampton and David Ying. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in cello performance from the Juilliard School. Thomas is also a composer of chamber and solo piano works.

About Dr. Igor Shakhman
Igor Shakhman is the Principal Clarinet and Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and has been heard in recitals, chamber music concerts, and orchestra appearances throughout Europe and the US. As an orchestral clarinetist, he has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Colorado Opera Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra and others. He has participated in two critically acclaimed Broadway tours including as an on-stage soloist in the North American tour of “Fiddler on the Roof”.

Dr. Shakhman received his Bachelor of Music degree from Kharkov Music College, his Master’s from the Moscow Conservatory and his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado.

About Michael C. Liu, MD
Michael was born in the Chicago area and started piano at the age of 4. He was fortunate to have won several awards in his youth that gave him the opportunity to perform around the U.S. and abroad. His primary teachers included the late George Banhalmi and English pianist Ian Hobson. He attended Tanglewood and Meadowmount during summers where he developed his love of chamber music. In his youth, he was featured as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony, Sinfonia Orchestra of Chicago, and several others. He was later able to perform as soloist with the Rochester Symphony, Guam Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony.

Dr. Liu received both degrees in chemistry and music prior to attending the Mayo Medical School and Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, MN. He worked on the island of Guam for 4 years helping to care for an underserved population before moving to Vancouver. He is a longtime teaching faculty for the Family Medicine Residency Program at PeaceHealth SW where he enjoys both the teaching of medicine along with the care of patients. Dr. Liu is also a longtime board member and musician for the VSO. He and his wife Nien-Wei have been tireless supporters for the VSO and the performing arts in the community. Dr. Liu has in the past been a member of several different chamber music groups. He currently continues to collaborate with cellist Jonah Thomas in the Portland Chamber Music group and with two different trios.

About the VSO Chamber Music Series
The VSO Chamber Music Series is presented by Oregon Public Broadcasting. The series was co-created by Dr. Michael C. Liu, VSO pianist and board member, and Dr. Igor Shakhman, VSO CEO and Principal Clarinet. The VSO Chamber Music Series is proud to provide enchanting chamber music in an intimate setting. Originally intended to be played in a small chamber, hall, or house, chamber music showcases musician virtuosity in melodies that are quite exposed in a typical ensemble of three to six musicians. Listeners enjoy an entirely new concert experience meant to speak to every individual in a comfortable space. The content of each VSO concert is unique, ranging from musical accompaniment for silent films and operatic soloists, to traditional string quartets and trios. Now in its eleventh season, the VSO Chamber Music Series continues to provide this matchless art form to the Vancouver community.

About The VSO
The VSO, now in its 46th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington's arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community. For more information, please visit vancouversymphony.org.

About our Sponsors
The VSO is generously supported by individual donors, The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Realvest Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, AC Hotel by Marriott, United Grain Corporation, Columbia Credit Union, All Classical Radio, Gravitate, Dick Hannah Dealerships, The Columbian, Michelle’s Piano Co., Pacific Office Automation, Steinway & Sons Portland, and The VIC.

###
THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PO BOX 525 VANCOUVER, WA 98666 PHONE 360-735-7278 FAX 360-906-0355
www.vancouversymphony.org