Fairfield musicians Karen Aoki Kouider and Paul Skevington to perform Wednesday

Fairfield’s own highly talented musicians, Karen Aoki Kouider and Paul Skevington, team-up for an unforgettable evening of lively flute and piano music at the Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts inside the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

The performance will feature Eastern European composers with native folk melodies that are modern and classical at the same time. The sound is fresh with dance-like rhythms and harmonies.

You also will hear cinematic music by Herman Beeftiink whose many compositions have been used in film and television. In addition, timeless classics by Johann Sebastian Bach played on the 1700 pipe Barhydt Organ will give a sublime richness and grandeur to the concert.

EARLY INFLUENCES

Both Karen and Paul were influenced at a young age by sacred church music.

Paul began playing the organ at church in the 7th grade. He grew to realize the power of music to transform a congregation of several hundred people. “Music has a way of uniting people, bringing them together and helping them understand the deeper reality within,” Skevington explains.

After completing a bachelor's and master's degree in organ performance from Indiana University and a doctorate in liturgical music from Catholic University, Paul went on to enjoy a lifelong music career in the Catholic Church.

As organist and music director of Saint Luke Catholic Church in the Washington, D.C. area, Paul quickly became an integral part of DC’s rich musical scene — widely considered the choral capital of the United States.

Valued for his artistic skill as an organist in supporting and guiding choral voices, Paul was invited to accompany all the major choral groups in Washington, D.C. — from small chamber groups of 20 voices to large symphonic choruses of 200 voices — performing in the many grand D.C. venues, including dozens of appearances at the Kennedy Center.

The Washington Post wrote, “.. the highly skilled hands of Paul Skevington, leading and supporting the voices.” Also, “One would have to be atheistic indeed to not at that moment feel that music is a form of worship.”

Paul is currently the music director and organist at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He is also the accompanist for Chamber Singers in Fairfield. He can be heard on several CDs including the internationally released Reinberger Concertos.

Karen Aoki Kouider grew up in a Christian community in Tokyo, Japan, where she played flute and piano in the church and gained an appreciation for music as a powerful spiritual tool. "I grew up feeling that music was sacred and that if you have a gift, you should share it," Karen explained. She was also influenced by the rich classical music tradition in Tokyo.

At 15, she traveled to the United States to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Eastman School of Music to pursue orchestral studies. After completing a bachelor’s degree in music, her interest turned towards meditative practices and Vedic knowledge, which led her to pursue a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in Maharishi Vedic Science at MIU, where she also studied Indian classical flute with Binay Krishna Baral.

Karen is a frequent performer for Maharishi International University and community events and has been a flute soloist for the Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa since 2009.

“It’s a joy to play music with Paul,” Karen explained. “We are able to go beyond the technical level into musicality where it is effortless, spontaneous and very joyful. I’m constantly energized by our rehearsals.”

Karen is currently Assistant Professor of Maharishi Vedic Science at MIU where she teaches courses on Maharishi’s system of Yoga.

Admission is free of charge, free will donations accepted.

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