MONTICELLO — A piano/vocal duo that has performed together for two decades and a Southern California-based contemporary painter and sculptor will be the Spring 2025 Artists In-Residence at Allerton Park & Retreat Center.
Champaign-Urbana native and professional vocalist Tania Arazi Coambs will team with Russian-born and trained pianist Larisa Chasanov during a residency March 9-20, while artist Dodd Holsapple will be on site from March 10-31.
Coambs and Chasanov are no strangers to the Monticello-based park, with the former spending time there growing up and the latter frequenting it since moving to Savoy in 2001. As lovers of the park, they have extensively researched its creator and namesake Robert Allerton and will present a classical-based concert they feel he would appreciate.
“We want to re-create the atmosphere of entertaining which Robert Allerton was doing at The Farms,” Chasnov said. “He had a lot of guests and evenings of masquerades and listening to music. We will try to use themes that they used and talk about them.”
One song they plan on performing was written by Robert Quilter, one of Robert’s European-based companions who never visited Allerton’s Piatt County estate but though enough of their relationship to dedicate a composition to him.
“He wrote this piece for Allerton 10 years after their relationship ended,” added Coambs.
Both are thrilled to continue their 20 years of collaboration at Allerton.
“To have the opportunity to be inspired by nature, inspired by Allerton, I think it’s going to be an absolutely incredible experience,” Coambs said. “And to spend time with my dear friend and colleague to make music together — what a joy it will be!”
The duo’s musical resume is impressive, with Coambs performing with the Chicago Symphony and at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, while Chasanov studied piano at the Belorussian State Conservatory, has been a lecturer at the Polish Academy of Music. After moving to Central Illinois she has been the accompanist for several area groups including the Champaign Oratorio Society, University of Illinois Opera Studio and Illinois Summer Youth Music.
Details on their public concert at Allerton will be announced soon.
Dodd Holsapple
Holsapple also has wide-ranging experience, including the installation of art across the country and in Croatia. He plans to be prolific during his time at Allerton with paintings that will focus on architecture, sculpture, the landscape and the scenic gardens at the park.
“I am looking to produce 18 or more finished works,” Holsapple said.
The Indiana native incorporates scientific data to infuse a response to issues such as climate awareness in his work and reflect his personal as a “habitat defender.”
During the covid pandemic, he used the isolation to park himself in the window of a studio, painting 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day for several days so people could see him create paintings of the Pacific Ocean as it looked at different times of the day.
“You can look at the same space at three different times of the day and it looks different depending on the light source and the angle of light,” he said.
His works range from the abstract to a 30-foot wide stone circle in Croatia, which was completed with the help of 175 volunteers, stone masons and students from art institutes.
Holsapple values residencies, as seen by his participation in about 17 of them to this point.
“They’re critical. They get me out of the studio and allow me to be someplace new and have a dedidated and focused time,” he said.
See more of Holsapple’s work on his website.
