DEERFIELD — The Brick Church Music Series will continue with local violinist Colleen Jennings and pianist Sophie Lippert of Arborio Duo on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m.
The pair from Amherst will perform a program of music that “is longing to be played,” in Lippert’s words. The lineup includes pieces by female composers, starting with four works by Pauline Viardot-Garcia, a French composer from the 19th century.
“They’re bright and dynamic and playful,” Lippert said of the four works. “To me, it’s such a warm way to welcome people.”
Lippert and Jennings will then move to the modern day with Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s works. While Ethiopian composer and pianist Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s piece is titled, “Homesickness for solo piano,” the piece by the final composer, Germaine Tailleferre, explores the “pleasure of coming home,” Lippert described.
“Colleen and I are very thoughtful about curating a musical and compositional narrative — an arc to our show that hopefully is quite compelling and natural. … We’re musicians, but we’re also a theater director — we’re really trying to take our audience along with us on a journey through song and also through the stories of the music,” Lippert explained. “It gives an audience something more to connect to, especially when it’s music that they haven’t been exposed to before.”
Given that the female composers who are featured in the program lacked the same opportunities and platforms as the male musicians of their time, Lippert and Jennings hope to share hidden gems with the audience.
“It’s less about gender, per se, and more about the fact that this is music that’s been underrepresented over time,” Lippert said, “and it deserves to be played.”
Although Lippert and Jennings both attended the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, they did not meet until Lippert moved to the Pioneer Valley in 2022.
“When we sat together for the first time, we instantly felt a spark of friendship, but you never know how that will translate to a musical and a professional collaboration,” Lippert said. “It’s been an incredible joy to play together. … As the best collaborations or relationships do, we elevate each other, we make each other better, we have mutual affection and admiration for each other and slightly different gifts — that makes this a dynamic duo.”
Before she joined forces with Jennings or started her studies at Rice University, Lippert always felt an intuitive connection to music.
“The story in the house is that I was reaching for the keys as young as my parents can remember,” Lippert said with a laugh.
When Lippert started piecing together melodies at around 3 years old, her parents decided it was time for her to start piano lessons. The more she learned, the more competitions she won.
“It was a way for me to establish myself in a time when I was feeling insecure in other areas of life,” Lippert said. “I’ve never doubted whether I belonged when I’m on the piano bench.”
Throughout her career, Lippert has played with several symphony orchestras, but the audience felt far away. At smaller venues like The First Church of Deerfield at 71 Old Main St., she can see and feel people listening.
“It allows there to be much more intimacy and connection with the audience,” Lippert explained. “For Colleen and I, it’s like we can really respond to the group of people who are there with us. When we speak about the pieces and when we play, it can really feel like we’re playing for them and for the space.”
With the church being only a town away from Amherst, she added, “It feels really sweet to play for a community that feels more like home.”
Suggested donations are $20 at the door, with proceeds supporting The First Church of Deerfield. A reception in the Caswell Library will follow. Accessible parking is available toward the back of the church.
