Henry Doktorski Pianist Organist Accordionist Composer Conductor Author Educator Performance at Heinz Chapel

At Heinz Chapel, with contralto Daphne Alderson and ensemble.

February 14, 2004: Henry Doktorski performed with contralto Daphne Alderson and an ensemble of four classical musicians in a Valentine's Day concert at the Heinz Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

The event was planned to coincide with the release of Alderson's latest compact disc, Songs from the Heart, which was recorded at Heinz Chapel in December 2003 with Doktorski on accordion. The album, which includes Elizabethan love songs, French Renaissance music, Hammerstein tunes, Portuguese ballads from the turn of the last century, and classic songs by Edith Piaf, Ennio Mornicone and Buddy Holly. "It's a real mix of opera and cabaret," Alderson said.

A portion of the disc's proceeds will go to the Heinz Building Fund to renovate the chapel's steeple. The interdenominational Chapel, dedicated in 1938, stands as one of the foremost examples of French Gothic architecture in the United States.

Doktorski said, "It is always a pleasure for me to perform and record with Daphne. Her voice is so dark and velvety and full of personality. And to top it off, she is one of the sweetest persons I have met!"

Daphne Alderson made her New York Cabaret debut in 1998, performing her show Songs and Chansons. She has appeared at Avery Fisher Hall and Merkin Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., the Bach Aria Festival in Stoneybrook, New York, and at various arts organizations and churches throughout the United States, Canada and Italy. Her opera credits include performances in the roles of Hansel, Purcell's Dido, Nicklausse, Isabella, Rosina, Orefeo, Siebel, Suzuki, and Maddalena. She also serves on the music faculty at Seton-Hill University.

Daphne's compact disc can be ordered from Doktorski's Online Gift Store.