Strings of Memory brings together powerful musical voices from Mexico and the Arab world, inviting listeners on a journey across cultures. Featuring José Pablo Moncayo’s passionate Viola Sonata and Dia Succari’s colorful and rhythmic 5 Syrian Dances, the program highlights how composers express national identity, tradition, and emotion through classical music. Two additional solo works—one rooted in Mexican tradition and one in Arab heritage—offer a personal glimpse into the soul of each culture. Blending the familiar and the unexpected, this program celebrates the beauty of musical dialogue across continents.
Program:
Five Syrian Dances for Viola and Piano, Dia Succari
I. Improvisation et Danse
II. Sultane de Damas
III.Danse du Printemps
IV. Danse de l'accueil
V. Danse des Cavaleirs
Valse Caprice on a Theme, Juventino Rosas - José Rolón
Utopia, Amr Okba
Sonata for Viola and Piano, Jose Pablo Moncayo
I. Allegro moderato
II. Lento
III. Allegro
Melissa Terrall is an award-winning Oregonian pianist currently based in the Willamette valley. Melissa spent the 2023-24 academic year as a Fulbright scholar studying Mexican piano repertoire at Mexico City’s National Conservatory. Her research focuses on the evolution of Mexican classical piano repertoire before, during, and after the country’s revolution in the early 20th century.
A passionate educator and performer, Melissa has maintained a private piano studio for many years and has worked as interim piano professor at Linfield University and Clark College. Melissa received her master’s in piano performance at the University of Kansas, where she was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship and studied under Dr. Scott McBride Smith. While in Kansas, she served as director of the KU Community Music School, teaching beginning piano lessons to students of all ages.
The youngest of six in a musical family, Melissa’s first piano teachers were her mom and sister. She went on to study with Dr. Jill Timmons and Dr. Julia Lee at Portland State University. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Oregon Sinfonietta and Portland’s Jewish Community Orchestra. During her undergrad, Melissa studied abroad in Spain, working with pianists in Madrid and Barcelona, an experience that piqued her interest in Iberian and Latin American classical music. When she is not at the keyboard, Melissa finds inspiration hiking, reading, and improvising in the kitchen.
Violist Christina Ebersohl-Van Scyoc brings a rare combination of expressive depth, cultural fluency, and visionary leadership to the international concert stage. Her 2024–2025 debut tour featured performances across Switzerland, Egypt, and the United States—including her Carnegie Hall debut in July 2024. The performance marked her remarkable transformation from Army linguist to celebrated concert artist. Joël Belgique, principal violist of the Oregon Symphony, calls Christina “part of a new generation of musicians—her talent alone is not enough… she’s inspiring.”
Her debut album, Viola al-Mashura / The Enchanted Viola, released on Acis Productions in Spring 2026, features contemporary works and world premieres that bridge cultures and genres. The project reflects Christina’s passion for global collaboration and artistic storytelling, highlighting Egyptian composers and voices from the Arabic diaspora. A United States Army veteran and Arabic linguist, Christina launched her solo career following her honorable discharge, earning early acclaim for performances marked by fearless imagination and heartfelt sincerity.
Beyond the stage, Christina is a driving force in the viola world. A 2022 Pat Tillman Scholar, Christina is a leading advocate for blind and visually impaired musicians, with speaking engagements at the New Music Gathering, Music Library Association, and International Vision Conference. She is a recipient of the NFB Pearson Scholarship for Teaching, a Gilman International Scholarship alumna, and a passionate mentor for inclusive teaching practices. Her first book—featuring interviews and biographies of contemporary Egyptian composers—will be published alongside the release of her CD in Spring 2026.
A Licensed Body Mapping Educator, Christina teaches workshops that help musicians prevent injury, develop sustainable technique, and rediscover the joy of movement. Her teachers include renowned violists Joël Belgique, Kenji Bunch, Basil Vendryes, and Liz Freivogel of the Jupiter Quartet. She earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Viola Performance and Literature and Arabic Language as an Illinois Distinguished Fellow at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Christina is not only performing on today’s global stages—she’s using music as a bridge: connecting cultures, challenging boundaries, and reimagining who classical music is for.
You may also like the following events from PianoForte Foundation:
- This month, 20th March, 07:00 pm, Radiance | Jeeyoon Kim, Piano in Chicago
- Next month, 10th April, 07:30 pm, From This Moment On! in Chicago
- Next month, 11th April, 07:00 pm, Pavel Nersessian | Piano Recital in Chicago
Also check out other
Entertainment events in Chicago,
Music events in Chicago,
Arts events in Chicago.
