Young Texas Artists Launches 40th Season with their Classic Cabaret

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- A Thursday night in The Woodlands, with wine, great food, and music, is not that much of a stretch, but when you have an event thrown by Young Texas Artists (YTA) President/CEO Susie Moore Pokorski, at The Woodlands Country Club, Palmer Course. Plus you throw in some art, a world class pianist, and ditto that with a worldly talent in an award winning soprano; then you have an evening that will be remembered for quite some time. The YTA celebrated the opening of their 40th Season, with their ‘Classic Cabaret,’ a mini salon of what can be described as ‘excellence on parade.’ And as the Sun slid below the tree line on October 24th, the night's entertainment was just about to enlighten the audience with two remarkable individuals, whose lives are dedicated to music, perfection, and receiving accolades from grateful audiences starving for quality; that can only be molded and maintained by a select group of individuals.

The new YTA 2024-25 season is the 40th annual Young Texas Artists Music Competition, helping young classical musicians in Texas launch their careers since the early 1980s. The YTA remains totally committed to bringing the best talent to the forefront, to continue to inspire and captivate their audiences. The new season of promise honors the decades of YTA Gold Medal candidates, and celebrates their legacy and influence in providing a bright future for classical music.

I was excited to enter The WCC’s Legacy Ballroom, where I conversed with my known friends and acquaintances, and working through some sips and savors; made a whole new host of new friends, and met fans that think the world of me. I was truly flattered. And I won’t forget the art, with a selection of wonderful works curated by Joseph Staley on display that were available for purchase.

The YTA is internationally recognized and has a specific age requirement for their Music Competition; with Classical musicians it is 18–30 years, and with singers it’s 20–32 years old. Held in a three-day competition with eligibility requirements that features four performance divisions: Piano; Strings; Voice; and Winds, brass, percussion, harp, and guitar. The competition culminates in the YTA Finalists' Concert & Awards, which includes a showcase, awards, and a Grand Prize ceremony held in Conroe each year.

Yes, last Thursday night was a treat to be privy to the talents of Mr. James Dick, the internationally renowned concert pianist, and 2024 TYA Gold Medalist Voice-Soprano, Krista Renée Pape, whose talent wowed the judges at the Crighton Theatre in Conroe finals earlier this year.

Mr. Dick founded The Round Top Festival Institute in 1971 with the help of Miss Ima Hogg, which intakes aspiring musicians and molds them into artists of an exceptional caliber in a program that draws out every ounce of talent that the students have to offer. Located in Round Top, Fayette County, Texas, it is a beautiful campus, almost Edenic for a musician, that inspires young talents to take their music to the next level. It’s European like, with grottos and fountains, and a chapel; all nestled in a little chunk of Texas countryside, and even comes complete with a world-class concert hall to boot

Born a Kansan, Dick made his way to the University of Texas’ music program, and never looked back. His early triumphs as a major prize winner in top international competition names with the likes of Tchaikovsky, Bosni and Leventritt; set the stage for his performances with the major symphonies over the years. He performed a duet with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Clayton House in Round Top in the early 1970s.

Ms. Pape has a Masters in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Houston. And still youthful with appearances around Texas and across the nation, the soprano is well versed in competition and receiving awards. As a resident artist at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, she performed: Frasquita and covered Micaela (Carmen), Annina and covered Violetta (La traviata), amongst others. Her competition and prizes hail from: Metropolitan Opera Laffont National Council, National Society of Arts and Letters, and others. She sang Frasquita (Carmen) and Julie Jordan (cover, Carousel) with Opera North last summer, and she will be the First Lady while covering Queen of the Night in ‘The Magic Flute’ at Opera Mississippi in the 24/25 season.

When given the formula for the evening, Ms. Pape put pen to paper choosing a repertoire to accommodate venue, crowd size, setting and title for the event. She was accompanied on piano by Craig Stephan for her performance.

Ms. Pape sang a light-hearted jazz standard, ‘Look for the Silver Lining,’ by Jerome Kern, which has been sung by big names like Judy Garland in the past, but Krista went with the style of Chet Baker’s 1954 version. Pape’s voice is magical, resonating around the room as if it were a shockwave. She is able to take a simple song that was first recorded in a crackly 1921 version, and update it with her trained voice to jazz perfection and include a high note at the end to emphasize the sunny side of life.

Then the big one. ‘Glitter and be Gay’ from ‘Candide,’ the operetta; with music composed from Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics from Richard Wilbur, first performed in 1956, and inspired by Voltaire’s 1759 novella. Everyone remembers Kristin Chenoweth’s ‘Cunegonde’ from the New York Philharmonic’s revival in 2004, but Pape takes into account the other’s who’ve gone before.

“I tend to play my Cunegonde much more spiteful and vindictive,” said Krista. “As that is my interpretation of what is happening in the aria and how the character is dealing with what happened before that moment.”

Pape puts what she calls ‘a sprinkle of fun,’ in her performances, and since Candide has the grandeur and exaggerated character of true opera that we all crave, along with the high notes and drama, it’s all for the better. Krista appreciates all the opportunities given to perform, and essentially considers them auditions to move forward in her career. “You never know who will be in the audience,” said Pape. Even the Classic Cabaret was an opportunity, and she is most grateful for that as well.

Following the soprano, Mr. James Dick took to the piano. It’s not often the audience is allowed to sit within a few paces of such a great pianist. I was honored. Dick started with Valvadi’s ‘Concerto Grosso in D Major’ transcribed for piano by Bach, I. Allegro. His command of the keys and his concentration were incredible. When he plays, his eyes are closed. It's just him and the piano. For Mr. Dick, there is no audience. And as he sways back and forth, his mouth moves as if he is talking to angels.

“Your eyes may be closed, but your mind has to be very open,” said Mr. Dick. “Every time you play you bring a little something different in the notes. It may be the same notes, but what do the notes say?”

Hearing Mr. Dick’s Beethoven ‘Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13 “Pathetique, 1st movement’ was another masterful performance. One of the attendees at the concert emailed me afterwards saying that you can hear their six stages of grief in the piece: shock/denial, pain/guilt, anger/bargaining, depression/reflection/loneliness, then an upward swing, and finally acceptance. I was taught five stages, but who am I to argue, since they could be a therapist.

Debussy’s ‘Claire de Lune,’ which translates to Moonlight, was breathtaking as Mr. Dick performed. Just the title evokes memories of moonlight happenings and the emotions of romance that go along with them. His charm over the keys conveyed an opening and longing for a nostalgic love, which invited the audience to plunge themselves into the mood. Dick puts to good use Debussy’s intentions of symmetry allowing the audience to take in his music in a personal way with subjectivity in mind.

All in all it was a wonderful evening of fellowship with friends old and new, of good wine and food, art, and incredible entertainment. It was amazing, and I look forward to meeting the contestants, seeing and hearing them perform during the Young Texas Artists musical competition in the new year.

For information and to donate to YTA: youngtexasartists.org

For information and to donate to the Round Top Festival Institute: festivalhill.org

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net

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