Shammah Richardson at the conclusion of her debut performance on the Classical Podium in St. Maarten.
PHILIPSBURG--From dramatic and moody to light and energetic, the sweet sounds of piano, cello and soprano filled the air when the Summer Classical Concert took over Belair Community Center on the evening of Thursday, June 4.
Irina Kaufman-Brookes on the piano.
The Classical Delight Foundation, headed by Bernadine van Veen who was also MC for the evening, has been bringing the magic of the opera to St. Maarten for the better part of 20 years, and has brought artistes from all over the world to perform here. Special this year was that all five performing artists are based in the Caribbean, three from Guadeloupe and two from St. Maarten.
The concert’s opening performance was by pianist Shammah Richardson – her debut on the Classical Podium here in her home country. This was followed by fellow St. Maarten-based pianist Irina Kaufman-Brookes, and Guadeloupe-based artists: cellist Lucile Mauchoffé, pianist Dominic Boulianne, and soprano Marie Marsolle.
The exciting variety of musical performances provoked a range of emotions and brought the magic of the opera to St. Maarten, with the musicians earning a standing ovation at the closing of the night. As an extra surprise, pianists Kaufman-Brookes and Boulianne performed an impromptu quatre-mains. One exciting announcement made at the end of the evening was that senior pianist Kaufman-Brookes would be taking Richardson under her wing this summer on a trip to Italy.
The foundation also focusses on exposing the youth to classical music, and five primary schools were treated to a performance by the same artists earlier that day.
