Opera on Knox Prairie?

Efi Hackmey
Raquela Sheeran

WOW!

Opera on the Knox Prairie? Opera in the auditorium of our local High School? It actually happened!

For an hour this afternoon, we were exposed to musical culture that normally, most of us would never be exposed.

Our Chamber of Commerce sponsored this operatic treat through The Piatigorsky Foundation.

For one hour, center stage was held by one grand piano, a classical pianist, Efi Hackmey and an operatic, soprano soloist, Raquela Sheeran.

For one hour, hectic schedules, spring break, obligations, problems were forgotten.

For one hour, we were enthralled with the musical expertise of these two fantastic musicians.

The Piatigorsky Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to make live classical music part of the fabric of everyday life for communities throughout the United States. Piatigorsky Foundation concert tours bring top-quality musicians to audiences who would otherwise not have the opportunity to hear such performances.

The concerts take place in relaxed, informal settings, where everyone can share the joy of great live music making. The Foundation will present over 220 concerts in 18 states this season in retirement communities, schools, churches, synagogues, libraries, museums, prisons, community centers, workplaces…wherever people gather.

The hour-long programs consist of great performances along with the artists’ insights into each work. The Foundation was established in 1990 by cellist Evan Drachman, grandson of the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976), who performed not only in the world’s great concert halls but also in cities, towns, and villages all over the United States.

The Foundation carries on his legacy in the belief that, as Piatigorsky said, “Music makes life better. Music is neither a luxury nor a frill - it is a necessity! It is rich. It is imaginative. And it is for everyone.”