Native Lancastrians Susan Moyer Bergeron and Richard Field return to Lancaster to collaborate on the world premier of a new piano trio as part of the LCHS Fine and Performing Arts Series.
On Thursday, May 16th, Lancaster native Susan Begeron (cello) returns to Lancaster to perform works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Piazzolla together with childhood friend Michael Jamanis (violin) and his mother, Frances Veri (piano) at the chapel of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 31 S. Duke St in downtown Lancaster. The concert will also feature the world premiere of a new piano trio composed by Lancaster native, Richard Field, who presently resides in Budapest, Hungary.
Like Jamanis, Bergeron comes from a musical family. Her father, Dr. Karl Moyer, taught organ and music courses at Millersville University for 30 years. He was also a music critic for the Lancaster New Era. Her late mother, Carolyn, was a well known strings teacher and member of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra for many years. The Carolyn Moyer string lesson program was established through Music For Everyone in 2023 in memory of Mrs. Moyer. Older sister, Cynthia, is a professor of violin and viola and chair of the fine arts department at Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, California.
Bergeron began her musical journey at the tender age of 4 when her parents gave her a ¼ size cello, winning numerous awards as a virtual child prodigy. But it was a summer spent at the Kinhaven music camp in Weston, Vermont that made her want to become a professional cellist.
A graduate of John Piersol McCasky High School (1986) Susan attended the New England Conservatory of Music. Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree she was a member and principal cellist of the New World Symphony for two seasons. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Akron and a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Miami where husband, internationally renowned jazz bassist Chuck Bergeron, teaches jazz studies. A member of the Naples Philharmonic since 2006 , she has also performed with the Colorado Music Festival and with the Palm Beach Music Festival. She is a founding member of the Delbergi Trio.
“I love the reaction of the audience to our performances, both orchestral and chamber music,” says the Lancaster native. “We have the best fans!”
Michael Jamanis and his mother, Frances Veri, have been artists in residence at the Catholic High performing arts series since 2012. They have been deeply involved in the music community of Lancaster and throughout the world as touring artists. Michael currently directs Music For Everyone's Education program and is a Senior adjunct Professor at Franklin and Marshall College. In April they premiered Field’s “Flights of Fancy” suite for violin and piano to a rapturous crowd as part of a diverse program that included the Beethoven “Spring” violin sonata, and original works by Frances Veri and Dr. Maria Thompson Corley.
Field and Jamanis have known each other since the first grade and attended Wheatland and McCaskey High School together. Between the age of 6 and 16 Field studied piano with Frances Veri and husband Michael Jamanis.
“I would go to the Jamanis’s every Friday after school for my weekly piano lesson. Afterwards “little” Mike and I would play until dinner and usually sleep over. The next day Mike would come over to our house for the day and spend the night at our place. We’re like brothers.”
Field and Jamanis have collaborated on numerous musical projects over the years, including 2021’s “The Bitter Suite: Quartets for guitar, flute, oboe and violin” which Field composed in 2020 while sheltering in place during the Covid epidemic.
Attending a performance in November 2022 by Mike Jamanis and Frances Veri of a piece by Belgian-French Romantic composer and organist César Franck, Field was inspired to compose the six movement suite for violin and piano, “Flights of Fancy.” He went on to compose the first of two piano trios.
“I’ve known Susan since the second grade,” says Field. “She attended E. R. Martin Elementary school with my sister, Jennifer. Like Mike, even at a young age she played her instrument with a special intensity and passion. When I presented the Piano Trio No. 1 to Mike and Fran, Susan was the obvious choice to play the cello even though it had been 35 years since we last met.”
Like “Flights of Fancy” Field’s Piano Trio No. 1 blends elements of classical music with jazz and popular music to create a piece that is both challenging to perform and a joy to listen to.
“It’s a great piece, full of life” says Jamanis. “We’ve had a great time rehearsing and developing it and look forward to playing it for an audience for the first time on May 16th.”
In addition to Field’s Piano Trio No. 1, Jamanis, Bergeron, and Veri will perform works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Piazzolla.
The concert is free of charge. Donations are encouraged and benefit CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania) through the Lancaster Catholic High School Tri M Society.