The Western Illinois Museum presents an evening of music, “Who Knows if the Moon’s a Balloon?,” featuring soprano Melissa Chávez on the Museum’s Our Front Porch on Friday, Sept. 4 at 5:30 pm. Doors and bar open at 5 pm. A $5 suggested donation at the door supports the Museum’s programming.
Joined by pianist Heidi Brooks and harpist Claire Happel Ashe, Chávez will present a family-friendly evening inspired by Americana, poetry, and the magic of moonlight. Bringing together soprano, piano, and harp, the program moves from the familiar landscapes of American poetry to the dreamlike world of moonlight and stars, with music that is by turns playful, lyrical, and full of wonder.
The evening takes its name from Dominick Argento’s “Who Knows if the Moon’s a Balloon?,” a setting of the whimsical e.e. cummings poem of the same name. The moon remains a recurring character throughout the program, appearing in Eric Whitacre’s Good Night Moon, inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s classic; Kurt Weill’s What Good Would the Moon Be? sets poetry by Langston Hughes; Florence Price’s Night; and Osvaldo Golijov’s Lúa Descolorida.
Chávez will also perform works by American composers including Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs and Leonard Bernstein’s I Hate Music: A Cycle of Five Kid Songs, alongside opera favorites by Rossini, Bellini, and Monteverdi.
Soprano Melissa Jean Chávez has been praised by The Washington Post for her 'voluptuous voice,' and DC Metro Arts says she 'commands the stage' with a 'gorgeous soprano.' She has performed leading roles in more than 35 operas, including Carmen, Don Giovanni, and The Merry Widow, and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in works like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Handel's Messiah, and Mozart's Requiem. A two-time winner of the Bach-Handel Competition, Chávez holds degrees from Penn State University and Shenandoah Conservatory and teaches voice at Western Illinois University.
Melissa’s performance is part of the Music on Our Front Porch series, which presents world-class jazz and classical musicians in the Museum’s cozy, one-of-a-kind garage space, offering a rare chance to experience locally accomplished musicians up close.
The Music on Our Front Porch series continues on October 2nd with a jazz night featuring acclaimed saxophonist Doug Stone. This program is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council.
The Western Illinois Museum is a non-profit organization celebrating and nurturing the history, culture, and traditions of McDonough County. It is a vibrant community hub that features exhibits, an open collection area, lectures, music, and other programs in a historic building. The Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square, and is fully accessible.
A full schedule of events can be found at wimuseum.org or follow on social media @wimuseum. For further information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum. org.
About Vocalist Melissa Chavez Soprano Melissa Jean Chávez has been praised by The Washington Post for her “voluptuous voice” and “coolly exemplary production.” A versatile performer, she has appeared in more than 35 operas, including leading roles in Carmen, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Otello, The Merry Widow, Le nozze di Figaro, and Street Scene. She spent four seasons as a young artist at the prestigious Castleton Festival under the direction of the late Lorin Maazel.
Chávez is equally at home on the concert stage, with recent appearances as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915.
A winner of the Bach-Handel Competition and a finalist in several national competitions, she holds degrees from Penn State University and Shenandoah Conservatory and currently teaches in the vocal department at Western Illinois University.
