Denmark Pianists Performing at Congregation Shalom Friday

World renowned pianists Emma and Ina Rasmussen are making their American debut of their new CD, "Lyrics Without Words" on Friday at Congregation Shalom.

The performance will begin at 8 p.m. Harry and Rose Samson Sanctuary following the presentation of the Alfred Cahn Music Award to local musician, Otto Feller, according to a press release from the congregation. 

More from the release:

This award is given to the recipient in honor of the time, talent, and dedication demonstrated in the art of music. From Otto’s survival of the dark days of World War II, his love of music, especially opera and Cantorial arts, played a huge role in how his adult life would unfold. Having taken vocal instruction with many professors from 1946–1952 the study of opera opened the door to a job with the State Symphony of Romania as its Musical Secretary.

Following his time with the Symphony, Otto followed his love of singing at his synagogue, where for the next seven years, with the help of a dedicated member and teacher in the synagogue community, Otto honed his newfound craft as Cantor. In 1965 amid the strife occurring in Europe, Otto and his wife Aggie were granted the right to leave Romania. Although their intention was to go to Israel, family already here in Milwaukee changed their trajectory. Otto, after arriving in Milwaukee, became the Chazan Sheni at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun for the next three years. For eight years after that he sang at Congregation Sinai and then returned to CEEBJ.

Otto recalls organizing a concert for the then Wisconsin Council of Jewish Music in which the Cantors and Music Directors of our community joined voices. Among them was Alfred Cahn! Otto has sung as a part of the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale from the beginning and performed when the Cantors Assembly had their Conference here in Milwaukee. Otto and Aggie chose Congregation Shalom as their synagogue home in 2002. 

There will be a Shabbat Dinner following services at 7 p.m. Congregation Shalom is taking reservations for dinner; RSVP by calling Shalom at 414-352-9288. 

Following the dinner, ay 8 p.m., Congregation Shalom will welcome world renowned pianists, Emma and Ina Rasmussen, from Denmark. This concert will be the exclusive American debut of their CD Lyrics Without Words, piano works by Alfred Cahn. 

Alfred Cahn wrote many of the 17 compositions that comprise Lyrics Without Words for his dear friend, Irene Morgan, after they met in December of 2001. Many of the compositions were "musical love letters" from Cahn to Irene Morgan. 

Born in 1995 and 1996 in Taiwan, Ina and Emma are two of four sisters by a Taiwanese mother and a Danish father. They grew up in China. At the age of five and six Emma and Ina began taking piano lessons. As their interest in music grew, they switched to Madame Wu Bin, who is a renowned Chinese concert pianist. Wu Bin taught the girls for three years nd handed them over to the Ukrainian-German piano professor Michael Bischoffberger in 2006.

Bischoffberger had graduated from the famous Moscow Conservatory and was teaching in China. Despite his sometimes-ferocious teaching style, he had a strong following in China and was considered one of the best piano teachers in the country. That level gave Emma & Ina admission to the prestigious MGK School of Aarhus in Denmark in 2010. The MGK is a pre-college institution affiliated with the Danish Music Conservatories. It is here Emma and Ina now pursue further piano education.

The music has already taken them around the world, giving concerts in Europe, Russia, Asia, and America. During concerts they aim at playing the classical compositions as technically faithful to the composers' intentions as possible. However, they also entertain the audience with piano acrobatics, letting their fingers fly over the keys. One concert special in Milwaukee in USA turned out to be especially important. Here they met the 90 year old Jewish-American composer Alfred Cahn, who introduced them to some of his hitherto unpublished music in 2011. A year later Emma and Ina recorded Lyrics Without Words."

This concert is free of charge and open to the public.