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October 2026 Newsletter
Carnival of the Animals
October 4th
Wow! We enjoyed the most amazing concert at the LA Arboretum on Sunday afternoon. Several hundred kids and their parents were transfixed by a multimedia experience of Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint Saens - a piece that takes the listener from the majesty of the lion, to the colors of the aquarium, to the lumbering dance of the elephant. Our all star orchestra, conducted by David Cubek, was joined by pianists, Bernadene Blaha and Kevin Fitz-Gerald, and actor, Dorian Harewood.
We were delighted to welcome 50 audience members from the Downtown Value School - many of whom experienced their first classical concert along with many other young members of the audience!
This concert is dedicated to the California Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary — 50 Years of Creative Impact
No rest for the wicked....
Melodia Mariposa has no time to rest after our great event at the Arboretum. In just three weeks we are back with the Halloween special at the Pasadena Mausoleum in the Mountain View Cemetery! Music by candlelight...
The stunning Zelter Quartet will return this year for an evocative performance of Debussy's String Quartet in G Minor, alongside mezzo soprano, Maegan Martin in dramatic works by Schubert and Handel. The program also includes classic selections from Halloween movies.
Tickets will go very fast for this event. We are offering our members early bird access to tickets from October 15-17th and they will be available to everyone else on October 18th. Become a member to get early access!
We can only seat 120, and as empty seats make us sad, we have decided to test a $5 booking fee for this event in the hope it will encourage full attendance.
Members Party in Altadena
Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary with an evening of Bluegrass & Americana
September 20th
LA River Rats in Altadena
We had such a fun afternoon in the Altadena sunshine on September 20th when we held our annual thank you concert for our Members. One of the best perks of becoming a member of Melodia Mariposa, is an invite to this warm, informal and entertaining event. The LA River Rats, one of LA's leading Blue Grass bands, played a lively and toe tapping set and following our Americana theme, we enjoyed hotdogs and beer and tasty desserts.
Many thanks to our sponsors, the Altadena Rotary Club and Nothing Bundt Cakes; our wonderful volunteer team led by Susan Hubert; our chef, Board member Brady Steel; our bartender, Board member Ken Friedman and thanks to Board member Dawn Digrius Smith for bringing her western store, Sunrise Meadow Farm, to our event.
Meet the Melodia Mariposa Team
We would like to feature a couple more members of the Melodia Mariposa team who help make our events so special.
Matt Tauro - Videographer & Photographer
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Matt, and I’m a videographer and photographer. I also work at Bevel Coffee as a barista and content manager. I really love what I do and, especially, the way my work allows me to connect with people. I was born here in Altadena, and over time I found my way back to the neighborhood. It’s been such a joy to now raise my own family here and be part of the community in a new way.
What work do you do the rest of the month?
I partner with a number of clients to plan and create media content for their businesses. That ranges from real estate and weddings to e-commerce. I also spend time at Bevel Coffee, which I absolutely love. It’s pretty hard to complain about being surrounded by coffee, good people, and opportunities to use my creative skills.
What do you like about working with Melodia Mariposa?
Working with Melodia Mariposa has been an amazing experience, first and foremost because I was connected to it so naturally through Catherine and my time at the café. Once I started getting involved and saw the quality of the performances, I was blown away.
It reminded me just how important music is to a community. The level of talent in the performers is incredible, but so is the quality of the experience for everyone watching. It’s been really fun to capture that through photo and video and help share it with more people.
What kind of music do you like yourself?
I genuinely love all kinds of music. Sometimes I’ll listen to jazz, other times I’ll put on an epic orchestral movie score, and there are still days when I go back to the alternative and emo music I listened to growing up. Lately, though, I’ve really been into ambient post-rock.
Connect with me
I offer media production and content creation for businesses and events - C3 Media. If you have a project in mind, or even just a goal you’re trying to achieve with media, I’m always open to seeing how I might be able to help.
I also have a wedding videography business, Call It Captivation Films, which could be a helpful resource for couples and families in the community.
Larissa Starr Lewis - Writer
Larissa, you wrote the narration for our Carnival of the Animals concert at the Arboretum. Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.
I’m Larissa Starr Lewis, I live in Pasadena, and I am a writer. I write satirically about technology and its appetite for loneliness. As humans we crave connection, but funnily enough, we are surrounded by apps that thrive on our isolation.
What projects are you working on?
The biggest project right now? I’m wrapping up my debut novel that stars two internet-obsessed teens who become the unwilling faces of a national tragedy.
What do you like about working with Melodia Mariposa, as a regular volunteer and an audience member?
Despite writing a lot about the internet, I try to live life as offline as possible! I’ve attended a ton of classical music concerts, but the most memorable are the ones Irina held in her driveway during the pandemic. To be that up close, immersed in gorgeous music was unreal…and also unique was how many new friends I made while there! At a Melodia Mariposa show you’re not just an audience member sitting beside another audience member. You’re sitting beside your newest most interesting friend.
What kind of music do you like best?
Oh, I love the grand majesty of an orchestra…buuuut I am also a sucker for 90s sitcom theme songs.
Where can we see your work?
If you love writing, want to join my next creative writing session, or just wanna say hey, I’m @writtenbylarissa on Instagram.
We had a very enjoyable time presenting trombone and guitar playing jazz classics, for appreciative audiences, in two locations, over two days. Melodia Mariposa loves to bring an amazing variety of musical styles and performers to our whole community. Thanks to Alex Iles and Larry Koonse for their wonderful performances!
We got a grant!
We are thrilled to announce that Melodia Mariposa has been awarded a 2026-27 General Operating Support grant from the California Arts Council!
This will help us continue to bring exceptional musicians and free live music to our community, while expanding our outreach programs for children, seniors, memory care residents and other underserved audiences.
We are deeply grateful to the California Arts Council for believing in our work and supporting our mission to make extraordinary live music accessible to everyone.
This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
Save the Date - 5th Holiday Concert
I know that Halloween and Thanksgiving haven't happened yet, but we are busy working on our 5th Annual Holiday Concert and it promises to be amazing!
There will be a free reception for all members before the concert and we are delighted to welcome bring back conductor, Larry Blank; soprano, Brooke Iva Lohman; and bell ringer, Linda Krantz to perform. It will be held in Westminster Presbyterian Church on Lake Avenue.
Free tickets will be available in early December but SAVE THE DATE now.
Friday December 18th at 7pm
New Members in September
Thank you so much to those who became members last month, or who renewed their membership.
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