Soprano Maria Jette Performs Sounds of Latin America Sunday at Lakeville Area Arts Center

For singer Maria Jette, things are humming right along. She returns from a series of performances in Phoenix, AZ, this weekend to appear in Lakeville for a lively concert at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. The concert will focus on some lesser-known, but interesting Latin American musical selections.

“This concert is called 'Quero Ser Alegre', which just means 'I want to be happy',” Jette said. “It's a fun program full of music that I just adore.”

Jette enjoys seeking out obscure music that may otherwise go unheard these days. While on a trip to Washington, DC, about 10 years ago, Jette began researching music at the Library of Congress, looking for pieces for harp and voice. She found a piece called 'Poems of Cuyo,' which is a province of Argentina.

“So I copied it, since you can't buy it anywhere and there are no recordings of it,” Jette said. “I brought it back to the Twin Cities and performed it. Well I just loved it, and it lit the fire under me to do more Latin American music. They're not easy pieces to find, but I've been collecting more songs over the last few years. So this program is chamber music from Latin America and Spain that's for voice and instruments other than piano,” Jette said.

The annual , now in its fourth year at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, is designed to make classical and world music accessible to all. The feeling of the concerts is casual and intimate. Guests sit at tables cafe style, enjoy food paired with each concert's feel and get a chance to interact with the performers after each show. There'a also free coffee from Caribou Coffee.

Series founder and producer Rolf Erdahl, who performs with his wife, said Jette is the first vocalist to be featured as part of the concert series.

“Maria is one of the most exciting, engaging singers in the Twin Cities. She's a true original,” Erdahl said. “In addition to her virtuosity and charm as a singer, she's a warm, engaging personality and consummate pro in every sense of the word. She's a star in the Minnesota musical firmament, and we're thrilled she's bringing a constellation of other stars south of the river with her for this amazing recital program,” Erdahl said.

For Sunday's concert, Jette will be joined by Stephanie Arado on violin, Barbara Leibundguth on flute, Andrea Stern on harp and Dave Hagedorn on percussion. Jette said the last part of the concert will feature voice and all of the accompanists together playing folks songs of Argentina.

“The songs are just really cool and fun. They're like little snapshots of a wonderful exotic place. It's like nothing people have heard before,” Jette said. “It's really nice to do these songs here in cold snowy Minnesota. It sends you to a nice, sunny place.”

Maria Jette has performed locally with such groups as The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Ex Machina Antique Music Theater and Vocalessence. Nationally she has performed with The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony and Houston Symphony among many others. She has traveled extensively performing classical vocal music in Germany, Spain, Venezuela and Japan. She has also performed her own production of Seuss/Kapilow's “Green Eggs and Ham” for more than 50,000 kids at festivals across the US. She has made two recordings for the Centaur label, and was awarded a lifetime membership to the American Composer's Forum in recognition of her service to new music in the Twin Cities.

Maria Jette

Sunday, April 3 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center
Tickets: $12 or $10 for Seniors/Students
For more information: 952-985-4640