Virtual Music at Noon at Pasadena Presbyterian Church presents the Belrose Duo, featuring Los Angeles Philharmonic cellist David Garrett and Occidental College pianist Junko Ueno Garrett, on Monday, March 8.
Garrett has been part of L.A. Phil since 2000, after tenures with the orchestras of Houston, San Antonio, Shreveport, New Orleans and Grand Rapids. His wife, Japan-born Junko Ueno Garrett, has captivated audiences around the world with her colorful tone, poetry, expressiveness, dynamic technique, and wide-ranging repertoire.
Performing as the Belrose Duo, the couple has put music at the center of their respective worlds from the time they were young. David started playing the cello at about 5, and Junko began playing the piano at 3. It was also music that brought them together many years later.
Junko is president of the Pasadena chapter of the Music Teachers National Association and a frequent adjudicator for music competitions throughout Southern California, including the Junior Bach Festival and the Southwestern Youth Music Festival. She is a program coordinator of the Third@First Concert Series in Los Angeles. She holds a faculty position at Occidental College, and is a chamber music coach for Junior Chamber Music.
A Kawai artist, Junko is a passionate Sumo advocate and a founder of the Los Angeles Sumo Fan Club.
Apart from playing the cello and the viola da gamba, and arranging and publishing music, Garrett is a dedicated advocate for music education. He coaches youth orchestras, visits schools, and is cello teacher for the El Sistema-inspired Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. At the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State, Long Beach, Garrett maintains one of Southern California’s top cello teaching studios.
He is a board member of the Los Angeles Bach Festival and the Los Angeles Violoncello Society, as well as an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena.
Virtual Music at Noon, from 12 to 12:30 p.m., is free to attend. For more information, call (626) 793-2191 or visit www.ppcmusic.org/music-at-noon.
