A unifying celebration of peace and goodwill presented by Peter Joseph Zisa and Friends
Join Peter Joseph Zisa and Friends at this annual community event.
December 3, 2016 7:00 PM
First Congregational Church 1126 SW Park Ave Portland, OR 97205
Free Admission (Donations to Charity)
Seasons of Light, an annual benefit concert since 2007, returns this year with an exciting program of music that celebrates the many cultural and faith traditions of our community. Excellent performers from many musical traditions will join together to present music from the Americas, Europe, Russia, Asia, and the Middle East. Also a charity benefitconcert, this year charity is the Alzheimer’s Association.
Peter Zisa is an acclaimed master of the six and eight string classical guitar. Among the many friends joining him this December are:
- Intergenerational Women’s Choir and Sing Here Now Community Choirs directed by Crystal Atkins. Sing Here Now choir is composed of women with Alzheimer's disease.
- Marilyn Keller, 2016 recipient in Portland’s prestigious Jazz Society Hall of Fame and Portland’s most versatile Jazz vocalist.
- Ilene Safyan, recognized by Entertainment Weekly and the American Library Association, is among the West Coast's most celebrated Jewish musical artists. Ilene weaves the multicultural musical strands of the Jewish experience into a rich, harmonic tapestry of sound. She is cantorial soloist at Neveh Shalom and Havurah Shalom.
- XXDigitusDuo (“Twenty Fingers Dancing” Duo), named in Artslandia as one of Portland’s favorite arts, is a “dynamic, impressive, and intrepid” piano duo. They are a recipient of 2016 Regional Art Council (RAC).
- Brian Haskins, music director and cantor at the Grotto, and soloist with the Portland Symphonic Choir.
- Thousand Waves, a world-music ensemble founded by Peter Zisa which blends the sounds of the Japanese Koto with the guitar, flute, violin, and percussion. With its program theme “West Meets East,” it features Yukiko Yamaguchi on koto and LeeAnn McKenna on flute.
Seasons of Lights is a gift to the community from Peter Zisa and Friends - and it is also an opportunity to support charitable organizations that benefit our community. This year’s charity is the Alzheimer’s Association. Generous donations to this worthwhile organization will be greatly appreciated.
About Dr. Peter Joseph Zisa
Dr. Peter Joseph Zisa, described as “poet of the guitar”, is an award-winning performer
on the six-string and eight-string Classical Guitar. He has studied with the legends of
classical Guitar, including Maestro Andres Segovia, Pepe Romero, Jose Tomas, and Jose
Rey Della Torre. A professor of Music at Pacific University, Peter is a strong advocate of
music therapy, particularly those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Peter Zisa lost his
mother to Alzheimer’s Disease in September 2016. He witnessed first hand how music
enriched her life, particularly in the last stages of Alzheimer’s. His mother’s two sisters
were also afflicted with the disease.
Peter is dedicated to promoting music education and providing performance opportunities
for children and promising young musicians. He is the founder of both Casa Della Zisa, a
community music center featuring outstanding local and visiting performing artists.