Annual Voice Recital by Students of Lisa Joe Set for Aug. 11

Performers at the 2017 Lisa Joe Annual Recital. Front row, from left: Katherine Koyanagi (flute), Lisa Abe Furutani, Kristin Yata, Sumi Yata, Masako Nakane, Linh Dang, Jun Uehara, Nancy Shigemitsu. Back row, from left: Lisa Joe, Michael C. Palma, Ted Abo, Tom Ishimine, Michael Murata, Allan Shigemitsu, Kurt Kuniyoshi. Special appearance by Stripey Joe. (Photo by Michael C. Palma)

GARDENA — The 16th annual voice recital of the students of Lisa Joe will be held on Saturday, Aug. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center, 1700 W. 162nd St. in Gardena.

Joe is an accomplished flutist and pianist who teaches and maintains a vocal studio in Gardena and Huntington Beach. She has decades of experience performing, directing, and producing musical theater, choral, and concert productions. Following in the footsteps of her mother, the late Sue Okabe, and her aunt, the late Michi Dohzen, she has found her passion in teaching music.

Featured soloists for the recital are: Ted Abo, Linh Dang, Lisa Abe Furutani, Holly Griffin, Tom Ishimine, Michael Murata, Masako Nakane, Josefina Penning, Francis San Augustin, Allan Shigemitsu, Nancy Shigemitsu, Waty Wiredja, Kristin Yata, Sumi Yata, and Katherine Koyanagi on flute. All performers will be accompanied by Joe on piano.

The program will consist of popular and musical theater songs and will also be the final performance for longtime students, Nakane and Sumi Yata, who started their musical journey initially as piano and vocal students of Okabe. After her passing, they continued taking vocal lessons with her daughter. The two also assisted Joe with producing and supporting the annual recital and music workshops for the students for 16 years.

“I am indebted to Sumi and Masako and they will be missed,” said Joe. “I am so grateful for their years of support and proud to have worked side by side with them.”

All are invited to the voice recital and there is no charge for admission. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.