Musician Dwight Stone to Offer Solo Program

Former Community United Methodist Church Music Director Dwight Stone will present a concert from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24 in the church sanctuary, 801 Via de la Paz.

The program will include selections of Stone’s original piano compositions, including pieces from his early years in Los Angeles, from his years in Austria and from his albums “Aspen in Autumn” and “The Light.”

The second half of the program will feature Palisades resident Tyler Azelton singing Stone’s arrangement of William Blake songs, using settings for soprano and piano. Her father is Phil Azelton, director of music at CUMC.

Stone began singing at an early age with his family, often competing with his sister to sing the finest harmonies. In his adolescence, he pursued guitar and songwriting, and taught guitar during his student years in Europe.

When he shifted his focus to the earnest study of music, Stone already had an extensive musical background of singing, theory, ear training and composing. His continually evolving compositions have been influenced by many, including Morten Lauridsen, a contemporary choral composer whom Stone knew during his studies in film scoring at USC, and Paul Hindemith, whose approach to music theory was founded on the intensity of dissonance according to interval.

Throughout his career, Stone has spent time in France and Austria, singing with various a cappella vocal groups and chorales. As a conductor, accompanist and arranger, he was recruited by the adult choir of Poisat/Grenoble to be artistic director; and additionally in Austria, as artistic director of the Singkreis Grafendorf in Grafendorf-bei-Hartberg.

Stone returned to Northern California in June 2010, after living in Austria for three years. He has settled in Walnut Creek and is currently organist/choirmaster at a local Catholic church, staff accompanist for the Pacific Boychoir Academy in Oakland, and president of the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society.

Stone served as music director at the Palisades Methodist Church from 1998 to 2006. The concert is free, but donations are welcome. Contact: (310) 454-5529.