Next week, LOLA – Local Opera Local Artists teams up with Austin Camerata to bring a night of timeless operatic favorites at Waterloo Greenway. Set against the stunning backdrop of the *Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park, this free concert on Saturday, September 7th at 7:30 pm, is open to the public and appropriate for all ages. Enjoy a magical experience under the setting sun and stars, featuring a talented string quartet (with Austin Camerata artistic director Daniel Kopp, MM ’18) and the captivating voices of Julia Taylor, Samantha Balboa, Evan K. Brown, Scott Clark and pianist J. Bradley Baker. Bring your friends and family and revel in the beauty of opera in the heart of Austin!
LOLA is honored to have the support of Waterloo Greenway in bringing this concert to the Moody Amphitheater stage. “Doors” will open at 7 pm with the show starting at 7:30 pm. Complimentary beverages will be available thanks to Tito’s Vodka! Big thanks to media sponsor, KMFA 89.5 Classical Austin! This concert is supported in part by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division.
*Performance, audience seating, and bar will all be on the stage
For more information, visit austincamerata.com.
Next week, join the 
Frank Jenkins (DMA ’13) has been appointed as Managing Director of Austin Chamber Music Center. Frank has been an influential figure in Austin’s classical music scene for over a decade. In his previous role as Program Director for Austin Soundwaves, Frank led the day-to-day operations and strategic growth of school and community-based programs, benefiting over 1,100 students and community members annually. Frank has also previously held administrative positions and served on committees with the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Aili Kangasniemi (BA ’25) has been selected for an internship with Primo Artists. Based in New York, Primo Artists is one of the top artist management agencies in the world. Founded in 2015 by industry leader Charlotte Lee, Primo Artists’ select roster includes some of the world’s finest classical musicians: Violinist/conductor Itzhak Perlman, violinists Joshua Bell, Nicola Benedetti and Randall Goosby, pianists Seong-Jin Cho and Beatrice Rana, conductors Cristian Măcelaru, James Gaffigan, Christian Reif and Gemma New, and composers Valerie Coleman and Wynton Marsalis. With nearly 25,000 followers of its channels, Primo Artists recently launched a Social Media and PR Division and represents a growing roster of clients to optimize and build their presence in an ever-evolving digital world.
After a 3-month long trial, Seulki Lee (DMA ’19) has been offered a Co-Principal Cello position with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (Eesti Riiklik Sümfooniaorkester, ERSO). Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, ERSO occupies a unique position in the intersection of cultures, bringing together Nordic, Western and Russian musical traditions and has become the most prominent orchestral ambassador of Estonia abroad. Since the 2020/21 season, its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director is Olari Elts. Neeme Järvi, the longest-serving chief conductor of ERSO, continues with the orchestra as an Honorary Artistic Director for Life.
Selina Yilin Xu (BM ’24) has been named a recipient of a 2023-2024 Rainwater Grant from the Butler School of Music. The $5,000 award will help support Songs of the Era: Shanghai Jazz Project, Selina’s effort to revive the underrepresented music genre, known as Shanghai Jazz, that emerged in 1920s-era Shanghai, China. The project will feature two live multimedia concerts with several Shanghai Jazz songs rescored into Western notation for a jazz band, as well as Chinese music history lectures and a history exhibition on the evolution of qipao. Selina strives to promote cultural understanding and appreciation of Asian artists and their contributions to the world of music by presenting this unique music genre that fuses both Western music and Chinese folk tunes.
Tonight, February 3, at 7:30pm CT, Katsuaki Arakawa (MM ’25) appears with the Austin Civic Orchestra in their annual Texas Rising Stars artist showcase. Katsu performs the Schumann Cello Concerto in A Minor with the ACO and conductor Jacob Schnitzer. Other works include the Sibelius Violin Concerto (featuring Emmanuelle Sievers) and Holst’s The Planets.
