Church welcomes Wipfli to recital series
MAUMEE — First Presbyterian Church of Maumee is offering the next program in its Afternoon Recital Series, with a performance from Grace Wipfli, soprano, with Steven Naylor, piano, on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Coming out of the pandemic, Wipfli, a soprano, found herself tired, uninspired and searching for a project that could launch her back into a mindset of curiosity and discovery. This program of self-indulgent favorites aims to do just that. Pieces by Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell, Libby Larsen, Richard Strauss and George and Ira Gershwin round out the program.
Wipfli, from Toledo, has proven to be a promising young soprano. She served as the Soprano Resident Artist for two seasons with Toledo Opera, where she appeared as Inez in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. In March, she sang the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Toledo Opera Studio. She advanced to the Midwest Regionals of the Laffont Competition for the second year in a row, after winning an Encouragement Award at the Regional level last year. While attending the 2021 Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Wipfli was chosen as a winner of the Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition. She studies with Laura Brooks Rice.
Naylor graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2022, earning undergraduate degrees in performance and composition. A Michigan native, he graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in 2017. Naylor has presented seven solo piano and composition recitals, performing music from the Renaissance through the present. A fierce advocate for contemporary music, he performed solo works at the 8th International Conference on Music and Minimalism and the 2020 Bowling Green New Music Festival. While attending BGSU, Naylor was awarded the Hansen Music Fellowship, which provides funding to selected undergraduate students for musical experiences vital to students’ long-term advancement. His debut album, “idyll,” was released in 2021 and features his own solo piano compositions. Mr. Naylor is an engraver for St. James Music Press.
The recital is free and all are welcome to attend.
Forecast
Today: Showers, mainly after 3 p.m. High near 43. South wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: Showers, mainly before 1 a.m. Low around 38. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Southwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Cloudy at night, with a low around 37.
Extended: Mostly cloudy Wednesday, with a high near 42. A chance of showers after 1 a.m. Cloudy at night, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Showers on Thursday. High near 46. Chance of precipitation is 80%. A chance of showers before 1 a.m. Cloudy at night, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Cloudy on Friday, with a high near 37. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low around 29. Mostly cloudy Saturday, with a high near 39.
