Meet the Coordinators
About
Learn about the coordinators behind Concerts and Conversations and our collaborative approach to exploring classical music.
Linda Shamoon
LLC member for 13 years, Linda has co-coordinated Concerts and Conversations more than ten times and has also co-coordinated LLC classes on contemporary art, on poetry, and on cell phone photography. She has led numerous workshops for LLC about collaborative learning and teaching.
Before retiring, she was Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at URI, where she co-founded and served as Chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric. During high school and college, she studied music history and played the clarinet, cello and banjo.
These days, in addition to enjoying LLC courses and serving as LLC’s Vice President, she leads a book club for her condo association, attends live theater performances at RI’s exciting repertory theater companies, and once every week she bakes a loaf of sourdough or yeast bread.
Nancy Nicholson
Nancy is delighted to co-coordinate a class for LLC after several years of taking LLC courses. Music is her passion. She has performed as a pianist in concerts here and abroad at Royal Festival Hall’s Purcell Room in London, and at the Salle Cortot in Paris.
A specialist in French music, she was twice a featured performer at the prestigious French Piano Institute in Paris. She was pianist and co-artistic director of the Jamestown, RI Chamber Music series for seven seasons. She has been a faculty member at Notre Dame University (Philippines), Cape Cod Conservatory, Cape Cod Community College, the Wheeler School, and Roger Williams University. In addition, she has taught generations of music students at her studio in Providence.
Originally from the Midwest where she attended college, her interest in different cultures and peoples led to service in the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Nancy loves walking in the woods and enjoys gardening and cooking. She is addicted to reading, with mystery novels high on the list.
About the Course
Concerts and Conversations, Spring 2025
Course Description
Are you new to classical concert music, a seasoned concertgoer, or somewhere in between? Whatever your starting point, this class offers you an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and appreciation of concert music from the classical to the postmodern.
We will preview the March, April and May concerts of the RI Philharmonic, learn about the pieces, the composers, and the performers, attend the concerts, and then share our responses in lively conversation. Symphonies by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mozart are on the programs, as well as two piano concertos, plus a mysterious tone poem by Rachmaninoff. So much magnificent music to listen to, learn and discuss. Along the way, we will review the history of the orchestra and the ever-evolving role and styles of the conductor.
Format
Coordinators and class members work together to develop collaborative classes. Presentations are encouraged; active participation in the class’s conversations about music is expected. Attendance at the March, April and May concerts of the RI Philharmonic is required. Listening to assigned music and viewing assigned music videos is required.
Details
Class size limit: 16
Location: The Shriner Centers, 1 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI
Schedule: 9 class meetings, Tuesday mornings, 10 AM-12 PM
Dates: March 3, 10, 17, 31 | April 7, 14, 21, 28 | May 5
Resources: YouTube video performances, online readings, and online concert program guides