Desert Hills Community School of Music to present faculty concert April 30

Proving they practice what they preach, faculty members from the Desert Hills Community School of Music (DHCSM) will present a free concert at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 30.

Performed by pianists Vitaly Serebriakov and Svetlana Obregon, as well as saxophonists Jeffrey Anthony and Heather Baldwin, the program will include selected pieces from “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “First Piano Sonata” by Johannes Brahms, “Gretchen am Spinnrade” by Franz Schubert and arranged by Franz Liszt, “Arabesque” by Claude Debussy arranged for piano and electric guitar and “Aria” for alto saxophone and piano by Eugène Bozza.

While admission to the concert is free, donations to the school of music are welcomed.

The performers

Described by Fanfare Magazine as “a thoughtful artist with a firm technique, a gorgeous tone and a sensitive touch,” Serebriakov is a critically-acclaimed pianist, teaching artist and recording engineer. He serves as artistic director and piano instructor at DHCSM. Serebriakov has performed in leading venues around the world and has won prizes in numerous international piano competitions. His recent CD “Infinitude,” a collection of piano music by Scriabin, Medtner and Prokofiev has been highly praised by music critics.

In the past, Serebriakov has served as faculty associate and piano instructor at ASU School of Music and ASU Community Music School, and has taught at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. In addition to his roles at DHCSM, Serebriakov is co-founder and owner of Ostinato Conservatory of Music in Verrado and artist-in-residence for the Scottsdale Philharmonic, where he regularly performs with the orchestra. Recent highlights include performances of Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto and Grieg Piano Concerto.

Obregon will perform piano solos and duets along with Serebriakov. In addition to her successful career as a pianist, Obregon is a collaborative artist and educator who is also active in chamber music, working with many distinguished artists on two continents. A prizewinner in several international competitions, including International Music Festival “Musica Classica” in Ruza, Russia and the sixth international competition “Music Without Limits” in Lithuania, she has been heard in recitals and concerts around the world.

Passionate about sharing her knowledge of music and music education, Obregon has been teaching for more than 20 years in both Russia and the United States (where she has been on faculty at ASU School of Music and ASU Community Music School), guiding her students to a deeper understanding of the art of music. She shares the role of artistic director for DHCSM with Serebriakov.

Saxophonists Anthony and Baldwin will perform duets. Anthony (soprano saxophone) and Baldwin (alto saxophone) perform regularly with the Fountain Hills Saxophone Quartet, a popular chamber group that plays throughout the Phoenix area. This group is serving in its second year as artists-in-residence at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church.

Anthony has also served as a member of the Joseph Wytko Saxophone Quartet, where he was on the roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts and performed throughout the southwestern U.S. Since 2017, Anthony has served as the traditional music director at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church. Anthony and Baldwin co-lead the DHCSM Community division, and Baldwin also serves as director of administration for the school.

The concert will take place at the foot of the boulders in the Main Sanctuary of Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, located at 34605 N. Tom Darlington Road in Scottsdale.

Also located at the church, DHCSM offers world-class music instruction for all ages and ability levels, in both group and individual settings. To learn more about DHCSM and its incredible instructors and events, visit deserthillsmusic.org.