OboeBass! Coffee Concert at the Lakeville Area Arts Center

Oboist Carrie Vecchione and bassist Rolf Erdahl of OboeBass! present an Americana-themed recital at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, Sun., March 1, at 2:00 pm. Carrie and Rolf are the founders and continuing organizers of the Lakeville Area Arts Center (LAAC) Coffee Concert series. The couple bills themselves as “the world’s only profession oboe/bass duo,” and have created an extensive repertoire of crossover classical music for their unique combination of instruments that they perform around the country in concerts and educational programs. Individually they have active teaching and performing careers. Vecchione teaches at the MacPhail Center for Music and Erdahl teaches bass at Gustavus Adolphus College. Each year they perform on one of the Lakeville Coffee Concerts, usually in collaboration with other leading Twin Cities artists. Erdahl notes “This year we collaborate with some of the wonderful composers who have written really engaging and interesting music for us, often in outside-the-box concepts. This year we’re thrilled to present a world premiere by Valerie Coleman along with works of eight other stellar composers.”

Composer Valerie Coleman

The program includes the World Premiere of Valerie Coleman’s American Vein, commissioned for OboeBass! The Washington Post’s music critic hailed Valerie Coleman as “one of the Top 35 Women Composers.” This commission was made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “We were thrilled to win this national competition to commission this work,” says Carrie Vecchione. “We’ve been long-time fans of Valerie’s work as flutist and composer for the Imani Winds, and are thrilled to add a piece by her to our repertoire.” Coleman’s 5-movement piece tours America, starting with the Redwood Forests, cruises down Rt. 66, visits Woodstock of 1952, pays homage to the Melting Pot at the Statue of Liberty, and finishes off with “Barn Raising, Bourbon and Bluegrass.”

Composers, performers, and Cy and Paula DeCosse

Also on the program is The Many Faces of Cy DeCosse, a piece written by 6 composers inspired by different artworks from Cy DeCosse’s recent retrospective exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “Cy DeCosse is a Minneapolis artist, photographer, ad-man, and absolute genius,” says Carrie. “His ad work created images that stick in people’s minds, including Mr. Bubble, the Hamms Bear, and Funny Face beverages to Downy fabric softener bouncing on towels. His painterly photographs and vivid drawings and tempera artworks are breathtaking!” The composers each chose an artwork that appealed to them and wrote music to match. The composers are Mary Ellen Childs, Randall Davidson Tim Goplerud, Steve Heitzeg, Sarah Miller, and David Evan Thomas. All of the composers except Tim (NJ) are based in Minnesota. “Being in on the genesis and premiere of this work last summer at the MCAD exhibition opening was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us,” relates Erdahl. “It was a magical experience to work with such wonderful composers and perform it in the MCAD space in front of Cy’s brilliant and whimsical artworks.” This piece was commissioned for OboeBass! in honor of Cy DeCosse by Bill and Penny George and the George Family Foundation. Photos of the artworks accompany the Coffee Concert performance. OboeBass! rounds out the program with solo and duo works by Stephen Foster, Tim Goplerud, and Adrian Mann.

Rolf selfie with composera Randall, Steve, Mary Ellen, Sarah, and David at MCAD



The concert is in a casual, cabaret setting, with audience seated at tables. The music is accompanied by complimentary refreshments and Caribou Coffee. Free street parking. Tickets: $18 / $15 (ages 60+/18 & under), available at the door, by phone at 952-985-4640, or online at www.lakevilleareaartscenter.com. Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Avenue, Lakeville MN 55044.

A Note About Our Sponsors
Audrey Johnson Companies is celebrating its 54th anniversary in residential and commercial real estate in Lakeville. In honor of this occasion, they are a Season Sponsor for this 13th season of the Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. In-kind support includes donations of coffee from Caribou Coffee and printed programs from Cornerstone Copy, Lakeville.