Soprano Carol Smith and Pianist Jonathan Howe To Perform Collaborative Recital

Soprano Carol Smith and pianist Jonathan Howe will present a collaborative recital on Sunday, November 23, at 2 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center.

Smith will be singing only in German, as her pieces will focus on Beethoven and Mozart. In addition to Mozart’s lieder, the program will include the dramatic aria “Queen of the Night,” and works by Russian composers including Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Bortkiewicz, as well as American composer John Carpenter. The recital will also explore how the composers’ eras relate to the early history of Freetown, an East Hampton community.

Smith, who holds a Ph.D. in bio-environmental science from Morgan State University in Baltimore, minored in music at the university level and trained privately under the late coloratura Marianne Weltmann of Seattle and the acclaimed late Mady Mesplé of Paris. Her journey is rooted in the vibrant Freetown community in East Hampton, a place founded for poor Caucasians, formerly enslaved Indigenous people and Black Americans. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys scientific research and spending time outdoors with friends and family.

Howe grew up in Armonk, New York, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Princeton University, a Master of Arts degree in music education from Queens College/CUNY, and an administrative certification from LIU Post. He teaches music in the East Hampton School District and studies piano with Teresa Dybvig. Howe also plays saxophone with the Sag Harbor Community Band and is an accomplished bridge player.

A reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $15, and donations are welcome to support performances that highlight the historical connection between music — from the Medieval era to the modern era — and East Hampton.

The recital will take place at the Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane, Southampton. For more information, call 631-287-4377 or visit southamptonculturalcenter.org.