Coral Gables Music Club “Melody” Newsletter

January 2024

On December 10^th, 2023, the Coral Gables Music Club celebrated the holiday season at the historic home and garden of Maria Alicia and Ajit Asrani in Coral Gables. Over 80 members and guests enjoyed the Jazz combo from the Palmetto Elementary Performing Arts program directed by Professor Oliver Diez while lunching on Paella and sipping Sangria. After lunch, the guests were serenaded by Coral Gables Music Club scholarship students Ciara Martinez and Bryan Corral, who were accompanied by Coral Gables Junior Music Club President, Emily Chea. To conclude the festivities, a surprise aria was sung by renowned Tenor, Aurelio Gutierrez.

The Event Committee was Co-chaired by Maria Alicia Asrani and Margaret Seroppian. Margaret is a Past President and current Treasurer who has dedicated herself to this worthy cause for the last 20 years. We are fortunate to have Maria Alicia Asrani as a dedicated member and look forward to her joining the board. The Holiday Luncheon committee members include Gisela Carreras, Carmen Cason, Norma Cooper, Derita Downey, Freda Janney, Susanne Kayyali, Mariel Monteil-Lopez and Carol Newport.

This year, the club has awarded scholarships to 17 students who will be featured in the Annual Recital on February 8^th, at 6:30pm at the Coral Gables Coral Gables Congregational Church. This is free and open to the public. Please join us. Our Artistic Director, Angelica Sganga has worked hard all year long toward this important event for the club as well as for the young persons who are scholarship recipients!

I am proud to notify you that I negotiated on behalf of the club a special performance of “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saëns to be performed by a 21-piece orchestra from Orchestra Miami at the Coral Gables Museum for Family Day at 1pm on Saturday, February 10, 2024.This if free of charge to all. Two young persons will perform the piano duo in this famous composition and will receive scholarships provided by the Coral Gables Music Club. Our club member, Berit Fournier is a sponsor of this event. We are very grateful to the Fournier family for their generosity.

On March 12, 2024 at 11am, we are going to have a wonderful performance by a group called “TWO FLUTES AND A PIANO”. Angelica arranged this for us and this is sponsored by ENCORE Academy of the Arts. We should invite all of our friends and family to enjoy this uplifting performance.

As always, please consider getting more involved and feel free to call, text or email me or Margaret anytime. Enjoy the photos from the Holiday party!

Warm Regards-Ann, Angelica and Margaret