Piano duo to present ‘A Musical Box of Chocolates’
HILLSDALE – “A Musical Box of Chocolates” is coming to Hillsdale by way of duo pianists Debbi Wyse and Kristi Gautsche.
The pair will present the free concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 14, and Saturday, April 15, at the College Baptist Church, 200 N. Manning, Hillsdale. The program will include works by Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and others. Ned Wyse will serve as the guest narrator.
Wyse and Gautsche have been a team since performing their first concert together in 1985. Over the years, they have performed recitals in Hillsdale, Jackson and at Hesston College in Kansas. In 2016, the duo was featured as part of the Williams County (Ohio) Community Concert Series. In 2003, Wyse and Gautsche presented their “Piano Triathlon,” presenting three different programs on three consecutive nights playing a variety of musical styles including Bach, Broadway, sacred and contemporary Christian works.
Wyse recently retired as an artist-teacher from Hillsdale College. She earned her Bachelor of Music cum laude from Bowling Green State University. While at Hillsdale College, Wyse served as assistant choral conductor for the choir and chamber choir and as co-director of Opera Workshop for over 25 years. She was part of the Hillsdale College music program for more than three decades. In 2016, she was awarded ArtWorks Hillsdale County Artist of the Year with her husband, Ned.
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Gautsche studied music at Goshen College. She is the accompanist for the Hillsdale Arts Chorale and area schools as well as serving as pianist and part-time organist at College Baptist Church. For over three decades, Gautsche has served as musical director and keyboardist for The Sauk, Hillsdale County’s community theatre. In 2009, Gautsche was awarded ArtWorks Hillsdale County Artist of the Year. In 2019, along with Trinity Bird, she received the Book of Golden Deeds Award from the Hillsdale Exchange Club. In 2020, she received the Distinguished Merit Award from the American Association of Community Theatre.
Gautsche and Wyse promise a diverse program adding “there are a few surprises, too!”
There is no admission fee. Donations will be accepted. Donations will go toward maintaining the two grand pianos.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Piano Duo to Present ‘A Musical Box of Chocolates’
