Kristi Gautsche and Debbi Wyse will hold their annual piano recital at College Baptist Church. Logan Washburn | Collegian
Local musicians Kristi Gautsche and Debbi Wyse will perform their annual piano recital at 8 p.m. on April 14 and 15 at College Baptist Church.
The duo has collaborated each spring season since 1985 to bring the community a night of music, a themed event in recent years.
This year’s theme, “A Musical Box of Chocolates,” was inspired by the box of chocolates that sits between the two friends that they share during rehearsals together. The concert will be free of charge and open to the public.
The concert will feature selections from composers Debussy and Gershwin, and Gautsche and Wyse have given their different movements names based on the theme. Some of the movements feature titles such as “Parisian Bonbons,” “Cartoon Caramels,” or “A Chocoholic’s Dream.”
Wyse said she and Gautsche think it is important people see how they play.
“Our pianos will be in the center, turned so that people can see us,” Wyse said.
The set list promises to be about 90 minutes long, including 75 minutes of playing, with a few breaks for a spoken narration by Wyse’s husband, Ned, that will consist of poetry, interpretation, and recitation.
The concert will also include an intermission, according to Gautsche.
“We try to make our programs fit our audience so that they can enjoy the evening and the music,” Gautsche said.
Gautsche said she has seen the way in which music affects others.
“What’s important to me is the way that music can change and work in the lives of kids especially,” Gautsche said.
Wyse agreed.
“If I think about music as a hobby, it is a way to bring people together and connect. We have a blast when we play together,” Wyse said. “But the central thing is that we want to dedicate our lives to serving the Lord through music. If we don’t have that, we have nothing.”
Both women are active members of the community. Wyse is the accompanist for the college’s Chamber Choir and a former private piano instructor in its music department. Gautsche is a music director at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville.
The pair met in a Bible study in 1980 and have been friends ever since. Gautsche attends College Baptist Church, where she plays the piano on Sunday mornings, and Wyse attends Free Methodist Church. Both Wyse and Gautsche have been playing the piano since they were girls and have always incorporated it into their lives.
“I played for a voice professor in college, and then got into the classical stuff, and then played for a gospel choir for 14 years,” Gautsche said.
Wyse and Gautsche said they both enjoy a variety of music. Wyse sings, plays the harp, and has experience playing the violin, and Gautsche plays the organ.
Anne Schmitt, who will serve as the page turner for Gautsche during the performance, said the audience can expect a classical, fun-filled performance.
“When they perform these duo piano concerts, it is a real treat. Their musicianship and performance are awe-inspiring and I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of this,” Schmitt said. “They also do a great job of combining truly amazing classical music performances with a bit of humor and fun. Those who attend will be treated to a musical and artistic delight.”
