DPL News & Views

Family-Friendly Classical Music
at the Dover Public Library

On Saturday morning, May 4 at 11am, the Dover Public Library will host the third in a series of free classical music concerts for families, featuring live performances of well-known musical masterpieces. This month’s concert will highlight the works of several French composers: Claude Debussy, Georges Bizet, Léo Delibes, Gabriel Fauré and Charles Gonoud. It will include performances of opera arias from Delibes’s "Lakme" and Gounod’s "Faust", plus famous pieces from Debussy's "Clair de Lune" and Fauré's "Sicilienne”. The concert’s length is just 40-45 minutes, so that children may attend and enjoy the music too. The performers’ goal is to encourage classical music appreciation among all ages.

Performing will be: Flutist Richard DuBois, Sopranos Melissa Manseau and Kate Kneisley, and Naho Bessho on piano.

Mr. DuBois, of South Berwick, ME, studied piano, saxophone, and clarinet from a young age. He attended Gorham State Teachers College, then continued his studies on flute at UNH, and at the U.S. Navy School of Music in Washington D.C. After his Navy Service, he continued his studies on flute in Boston and performed in the Quincy Symphony. He taught in Sanford, Kennebunk, and North Berwick schools, and studied with Frances Drinker, principal flutist in the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He has been on the Berwick Academy music faculty since 1984 as a private woodwind instructor, and he is also teaching in the Barrington NH school system. In addition to his teaching, he also repairs woodwind instruments at his home and performs in the 16-piece “Good Mem’ries Swing Band”, and in the “Quint-Essential Winds” ensemble.

Melissa Manseau, of Farmington, NH, returns for an encore engagement, having performed in the Library’s first concert in December. She has a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Northern Iowa and a B.A. in music education from UNH. Melissa was an Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera in 2001 and was awarded the Sarasota Opera Guild Scholarship and the Kern Foundation Scholarship. She returned as a Studio Artist for Sarasota's 2002 season. Most recently, Melissa performed in the summer concert series with Cape Cod Opera. In addition, she recorded a three- song set by living composers with Parma Records, one of which was submitted for Grammy consideration. Last winter, Ms. Manseau performed with Cape Cod Opera in the First Night concert series as well as playing the role of the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors in Dover, NH.

Kate Kneisley graduated from North Greenville University with a B.A. in Voice Performance. Some of her favorite operas include “Le Nozze di Figaro”, “La Traviata” and “Eugene Onegin”. She is excited to perform Rosalinda in “Die Fledermaus” with Melissa Manseau's Youth Opera Workshop in June! Kate has been accepted to the Master of Music program in voice performance at the University of Northern Iowa where she has also been offered a graduate assistantship.

Naho Bessho, concert organizer, was born in Japan and is now a concert pianist in Dover. At age 19 she won the highest award at the Japan Classical Music Competition. She graduated from Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music with a Master of Music degree. She has played with Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland, and in 2001 won 2nd prize at Yangtze-River-Cup International Competition in Osaka. She came to the US in 2002, graduating from Boston University with a Performance Diploma in 2006. She has given many piano recitals throughout New England. In 2010, she released her first CD, "Invitation", and this April she released her second CD “Spianato”. She gives private lessons in Dover, NH.

Please join us at the Dover Public Library for this wonderful opportunity to enjoy, listen, and learn more about classical music! For further information, call the library at 603-516-6050.