Melodia Mariposa July Newsletter

We are on Summer Break, but there’s still a lot going on!

We are taking a summer break from public concerts, but we continue to work hard on our amazing second half of the year. We are also be planning for a very exciting 2027 season!

We will return on September 20th with our annual thank you concert for our Members followed quickly by our family concert at The LA Arboretum on October 4th – performing Carnival of the Animals by Saint- Saëns.

We then move onto our traditional Halloween concert when we will return to the Pasadena Mausoleum on November 1st with the amazing Zelter Quartet and close the year with our 5th Annual Holiday concert on December 18th at Westminster Presbyterian. All tickets will all be free and we will let you know when they are available to book.

Lyris Quartet sparkle in the May sunshine

Through Darkness, Shadow and Light (filmed by Matt Tauro)

The Lyris Quartet performed on May 23rd, to a packed, enthusiastic and warm audience at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena!

The eclectic program brought together only the second ever public performance of local Altadena composer Savannah Jo Lack’s new piece, Fire in Four Fractures – written in 2025 after the Eaton Fire, as well as pieces by Caroline Shaw, Britten and Beethoven’s Serioso quartet written in 1810.

A word about fundraising

We really want to keep our concerts free to everyone, but we do need to raise funds to support our wonderful programming. We have two ways to give…

Members

Becoming an annual member allows us to thank you for your amazing support.

Members receive:

a free invitation to our annual party and concert
priority seating at our concerts
regular ticket giveaways for concerts performed by other local orchestras and ensembles
and coming soon….priority booking for our public concerts!

Membership Dues – paid annually

$100 for an individual
$175 for a two adult household

You can check your membership status by logging into your account or text Catherine on 626 840 2281.

Membership dues are not fully tax deductible.

Donors

A donor is anyone who makes a financial contribution – instead of, or in addition to becoming a Member.

Donations can be made at any time and as often as you like (we’d love you to set up a recurring monthly donation). Donate on our website, on social media, when you reserve a ticket, from a QR code at an event, or in cash.

We will be creating special campaigns throughout the year to show you what we need and ask for contributions for specific expenses.

We have donor levels to encourage you, but all donations are fully tax deductible and goes straight to our admission free programming and event expenses.

Recognition for annual donations:

$5000+ Oratorio Level
$1500+ Opera Level
$1000+ Symphony Level
$500+ Concerto Level
$200+ Quartet Level

Ticket giveaway for Members

As one of the perks of membership, we periodically get access to free tickets for other ensembles in LA.

This June 20th, we we able to distribute free tickets to the Hollywood Bowl Opening Night, the Pasadena POPs at the Arboretum and the LA Opera to 18 lucky MM members. The winners had a wonderful night out and here are some pictures and comments!

The Hollywood Bowl tickets were kindly provided by the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and we thank her for her support and generosity.

Summer Fundraising Campaign

We are launching our summer campaign, to help raise the funds we need to rent two baby grand pianos for our family concert featuring Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns at the Arboretum on October 4th. As you can imagine, a concert featuring a large ensemble with 2 pianos, narrator and conductor are very costly to stage.

Please help us reach our goal of $2,500 – every little bit helps!

Member’s thank you concert – Sept 20th

Last year, our lucky members were treated to the violin, guitar and singing duo, Leah and I, playing music from France, Italy, Argentina and Brazil with wines and coffee to match. This year, on September 20th, we are planning an Americana special to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, accompanied by Bluegrass, hotdogs, beer and pie!

We will feature Sean and Sara Watkins—founding members of the Grammy-winning band Nickel Creek.

They will bring together a collective of outstanding musicians for a performance that blends traditional folk and bluegrass favorites with original songs, rich harmonies, and plenty of spontaneity.

You will need to be an active member to receive a free invitation, so check your membership is in good standing or join now.

Outreach Concert at Cancer Support Community

On June 25th 2026, the staff and clients of the Cancer Support Community in Sierra Madre, were treated to a special concert by guitarist, Paul Viapiano. Paul, who is the principal guitar for the LA Phil and lives in Altadena, performs regularly with orchestras around the world and was the featured soloist in Melodia Mariposa’s Holiday Concert in 2024 (just days before the fire destroyed The Altadena Town and Country Club).

He played a selection of pieces (including the solo from Falstaff that he recently performed with the LA Opera) and spoke with the audience – all of whom are dealing with the effects of cancer on themselves or their loved ones.

Amy Hershberger to manage Outreach Concert Programming

We are delighted to announce that Violinist Amy Hershberger will be joining the Melodia Mariposa team to manage the day to day operations of our outreach program. We have performed 25 concerts over the last few years in healthcare settings, senior centers and at community events. We aim to bring world class musicians to people who would normally not find it easy to hear them play.

Read more about Amy in this article by Suzanne York.

New Members in May and June

Thank you very much to those who became members in May and June. They will all be invited to our next event – the members party – on September 20th. A special thanks to those who renewed their membership from last year.