NOON ConcertS presents thEMA EnsembLE
Evelyne Luest, Piano; Angela Lee , Cello and Mariko Smiley, Violin
Pianist Evelyne Luest returns from New York to perform with colleagues and old friends cellist Angela Lee and violinist Mariko Smiley. The three musicians have performed across many continents individually and enjoy collaborating together. They have named their trio "thEMA Ensemble", representing the first letters of their names. The program will include Beethoven and Brahms - Beethoven Trio in B-Flat Major for violin, cello and piano, Opus 11 and Brahms Trio for violin, cello and piano in A Minor, Opus 114
Evelyne Luest, piano
An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Evelyne Luest has been hailed in the San Francisco Examiner as a "virtuoso pianist sailing through complex demands." She has performed in Europe, South America, Asia, and the USA, including as soloist at Carnegie Hall, the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy, and on the public radio program St. Paul Sunday. Luest's long list of premieres includes compositions by Ned Rorem, Joan Tower, Aaron Jay Kernis, David Lang, and Lisa Bielawa. She studied with Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University, where she received an M.M. and D.M.A. in piano performances.
About Angela Lee, cello
A graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, cellist Angela Lee is a founding member of the award-winning The Lee Trio. In its third decade, the Trio performs worldwide and has recordings on Delos, Innova, and the Chelsea Music Festival Records labels, including the 2024 release Midsummer Night Magic. She is a member of Ensemble SF and performs with Orquesta Tipica Domo, which explores the richness of the "Golden Era" of Argentine Tango. Using music to foster peace and goodwill, Angela Lee has made humanitarian trips to the Republic of the Philippines and the former Yugoslavia.
About Mariko Smiley, violin
Mariko Smiley received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Juilliard, where she was a student of Dorothy DeLay. She has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony’s first violin section for over twenty years. She was also founding Concertmaster and soloist with Music in the Mountains Festival in Nevada City, CA, as well as a member of the Aurora String Quartet. The Aurora Quartet performed in the U.S. and abroad, and recorded the entire quartet works of Mendelssohn and Prokofiev for the Naxos label.
Ms. Smiley has been deeply involved with contemporary music as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player. She has a two violin ensemble with her husband, Sarn Oliver: Tangled Duo, which has commissioned and premiered works for Ebb and Flow Music in Hawaii and California. In addition to teaching at UC Berkeley, Ms. Smiley maintains a private studio in Marin County.
ABOUT NOON CONCERTS Our 2025 season of signature Noon Concerts fills the theater with the intimate warmth and beauty of superbly talented Bay Area, National and International talent. All concerts are free to the pubic, we welcome everyone through our doors. Join us to celebrate the transcendent power of live music.
SUPPORT If you would like to help us continue these important concerts and ensure they are available to everyone to enjoy please consider donating, volunteering or sponsorship. We are grateful for any help and dedicated to serving our community of audience and performers.
CURATOR We have had the good fortune to have Beni Shinoharas our Noon Concerts Curator over the last 9 years. She is a highly respected Bay Area musician who is in demand for her talent and dedication. She has made our Noon Concerts one of the area’s sought-after engagements for many performers and we are thrilled to have her curating our Season once again.