Elegant M performs
jazz favorites from the 1920's through the early 1950's. Elegantly
dressed in formal attire, the quartet includes voice, piano, bass
and drums. Elegant M also performs as a trio for more
intimate venues.
Valentine's Day Dinner
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Eagles Lodge, Eugene, Oregon
Eugene Ballet
Casino Night
Saturday, February
27, 2010
Valley River Inn, Eugene
Who is Elegant M?
MARIEKE SCHUURS
Marieke Schuurs grew up with vocal jazz and musical theater as the music in her family's household. A University-trained classical singer, she completed both her Bachelor of Music degree and her Master of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance at the University of California, Irvine. She lived in Los Angeles, was a soloist at several prominant churches, a choral conductor and a college faculty voice teacher. She moved to Eugene in 1996. She has performed with Eugene Opera, Willamette Concert Opera and Cascadia Concert Opera as well as at local concert venues. She teaches singers through her Eugene-based studio, Cantare Voice Studio.
Marieke started performing jazz in 2003, with local artists Paul Biondi, Gus Russell, Steve Larson and other Eugene-based jazz players. Her voice has been described as powerfully emotional, smoky and sexy. Marieke's style combines the lyricism of 30's and 40's jazz with a contemporary touch. Each performance is a musical dance with her audience.
Marieke has performed
at LaVelle's Wine Bar, Oregon Wine Warehouse, Jo Federico's Restaurant,
and the Oak St. Speakeasy in Eugene, as well as at Travelor's Cove
Restaurant in Florence.
ALLAN STUART
Allan Stuart, from Boulder, Colorado, comes from a musical and artistic family that included circus musicians, band leaders, symphonic performers and fine artists. He majored in trumpet performance at the University of Colorado, then studied composition with Cecil Effinger. Switching to piano as his main instrument, he did graduate work at the University of Wyoming with Werner Rose and and Charles Willman.
In 1988, Allan began a solo career, becoming a cocktail pianist and singer in five star resorts in Vail and Aspen, Colorado, as well as venues in Copenhagen, Quebec City and several cruise ships. During his years in Vail he shared the stage with many well known performers such as Ray Charles, Judy Collins, and John Denver. He also accompanied singers from the New York Met and the Central City Opera, and performed with ensembles from the New York Philharmonic. He continues to perform as a jazz and new classical soloist, and as an accompanist in Colorado and Oregon. He founded Green Shadow Music to publish his recorded compositions, placing many works with music libraries and production companies. He has released eight albums, signing with Eroica Classical Recordings in 2007 for distribution of his new classical piano works and orchestrated material.
Currently he works in a production
studio in Oregon and his solar powered Lyftwyn studio near the head
waters of the Rio Grande in Colorado. His musical partnership with
Marieke Schuurs gives him the opportunity to use all of his musical
skills to underscore and counterpoint her virtuosic interpretive
singing abilities. www.ashcomm.com
MARIEKE SCHUURS
ALLAN STUART