Sigma Alpha Iota

2015 National Convention St. Louis Voices of Experience, Voices of the Future sai-national.org • FALL 2015 • PAN PIPES 31 By Dr. Paula Neihouse Moseman e triennial benefit concert for SAI Philanthropies, Inc. held at the 2015 National Convention was presented by Elaine Fukunaga, pianist. Fukunaga is a graduate of the University of Kansas (where she was a Beta Beta initiate), Manhattan School of Music, and completed her soloist diploma from Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in Switzerland. She also spent a year studying in Madrid on a Fulbright Scholarship. As a pianist myself, it is a pleasure hearing young, talented pianists. I was looking forward to Fukunaga's concert in particular since we both graduated from the University of Kansas and had the same piano teacher, Mrs. Alice Downs. I briefly met Fukunaga some years ago when she began studying with Mrs. Downs as a junior high student while I was in college. Because of our shared connection with Mrs. Downs, I was aware of her many accomplishments and Elaine's many SAI awards, including the Career Performance Grant. Fukunaga delighted the concert attendees with a varied and interesting program. She began with the character piece, A l'ombre de Torre Bermeja (In the Shadow of the Crimson Tower), by Joaquin Rodrigo, a composer she spent a great deal of time studying during her time as a Fulbright Scholar. It was obvious from the start she understood the story of the piece and was able to paint the picture of the crimson tower for the audience. She then shared her interpretation of the Beethoven Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 and the Bolero, Op. 19 by Frederic Chopin, both beautifully played. Aer a brief intermission, she played Sonata 1.x. 1905 "From the Street" composed by Leoš Janáček aer witnessing a young man suffering death from a bayonet stab at a peaceful demonstration calling for a new university. e two movement sonata has great depth of emotion and Fukunaga did a beautiful job of displaying the varied emotions of the piece in her playing. A really good rag is always a crowd pleaser, and SAI Member Laureate Libby Larsen's Mephisto Rag was no exception. e piece is certainly not like a typical Scott Joplin rag and presents the pianist with many technical and musical challenges. Fukunaga handled all of them with aplomb and style. She closed with a lovely rendition of the Barcarolle, Op. 60 by Frederic Chopin and was given several curtain calls, sharing another beautiful Rodrigo piece with the impressed audience. Fukunaga's performance was wonderful from start to finish. She was personable in her stage presence, sharing stories about each of the pieces with the audience and was gracious in accepting the much deserved rounds of applause. ough she has studied with several teachers during and since her undergraduate years, it was interesting to see how much her playing is still influenced by our esteemed teacher, Alice Downs. ere is no doubt her career will continue to flourish. The evening was capped by a pajama party for a viewing of The Sound of Music. Fukunaga Gives Philanthropies Benefit Concert

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