West Side Concert Series Kicks off 46th Season


RIDGEWOOD—Live concerts are back at West Side Presbyterian Church! The West Side Concert Series launches its 46th season on Sunday, September 19 at 3:00 pm with a performance by Ensemble Bella Luce, which aims to bring people of all ages, cultures and opinions to a sacred place where music can heal the soul. 

The eclectic program will include opera arias by Verdi, Donizetti, Puccini and Tosti, chamber works by Ghidoni, Piazzolla, Gonzalez, Bach, deCrescenzo and Castaldon, and much more.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Mara Adler O'Kelly, soprano, made her debut at the San Francisco Opera at the age of 13. Her credits include Garden State Opera, Opera Theater Montclair, Opera Company of Brooklyn, the Caramoor Festival and, most recently, the Assisi Performing Arts Festival. Mara teaches preschool music programs and is the co-owner of MusicWise NJ, which serves northern and central New Jersey with mobile music lessons. She can be heard almost every Sunday at Saint Paul’s, where she serves as soprano section leader.

Salvadoran-American tenor Oswaldo Iraheta recently made his European solo recital debut at the Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Italy, as well as his operatic UK debut singing Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. He has performed with numerous opera companies in the United States, South America and Europe including the St. Petersburg Opera, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Roman Borgman Opera Theatre, Aspen Music Festival, Ópera de El Salvador, Opera Circle of Cleveland, Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, Trentino Lirica Opera, Knoxville Opera and Royal Opera House Muscat.     

Patricia Lazzara, flute, has distinguished herself as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She is a three-time winner of the Artists International competition in New York City and gave her critically acclaimed New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall. Lazzara is a founding member of UpTown Flutes, one of the premier flute ensembles performing today, and a founding member of Light Stream Orchestra, a quartet of flute, violin, guitar and piano that focuses on meditative music. She also is a prolific recording artist and sought-after teacher.  

Dave Malyszko, piano, has served as soloist, accompanist and ensemble member for a wide variety of performances in a multitude of genres including musical theatre, jazz, pop/rock and R&B. He has worked on more than 50 musicals and has played with diverse artists such as Dave Valentin, Debbie Reynolds, Connie Francis, Bobby Rydell and Charlie Vox. 

Admission to the concert is free. (Donations are appreciated.) Parking is convenient and ample.

Can’t make it in person? The concert will be livestreamed at westside.org.


The 2021-2022 season marks the 46th season of the West Side Concert Series. Throughout its long history, the series has presented a wide variety of solo, instrumental and ensemble concerts in the classical, African-American and jazz traditions.

Founded in 1912, West Side Presbyterian Church is a welcoming, inclusive church where people of all ages grow in faith, form lasting friendships and help our neighbors in need. West Side is located at 6 South Monroe Street in Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, please visit www.westside.org.

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