Upcoming: Maus performs at Teche; Landry at museum

Pianist Lyndsi Maus, a native of Franklin and a 2009 graduate of Hanson Memorial High School will be appearing in concert at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts Saturday, Aug. 15
Upon completion of her undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University in May 2013, Maus moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she began a two-year graduate program at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. She completed her studies last May, graduating with a master of music degree in piano performance.
In continuation of her pursuit of piano mastery, Maus has auditioned and has been accepted to study abroad. In September she will be moving to Graz, Austria to pursue a second master’s degree in vocal accompanying at the Die Universitat Graz fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz. She will be there for two years studying with Stacey Bartsch and the acclaimed Julius Drake.
An added feature to the concert will be guest performer Fr. Michael Russo. Fr. Russo, an accomplished pianist in his own right, will perform a pre-show medley of songs from his personal repertoire.
“I’m really excited to have Fr. Russo participate in what I refer to as ‘my hometown concert,”’ Maus said. “He is not only the priest that I made my First Communion under, but more importantly, he has always been and continues to be very supportive of my musical pursuits.”
Organizers of this event say this concert serves two purposes: First and foremost it serves as a quasi-reunion for Maus as she has not seen many of her family, friends and supporters for the last two years while pursuing her master’s in Ohio. Secondly, this concert, not only provides Maus an opportunity to showcase her talent, but also an opportunity to help defray the expense of moving to and studying in Europe. In addition to the ticket proceeds, envelopes will be available at the theatre for anyone wishing to make a donation. Checks should be made payable to Maus Maus.
Maus is the daughter of Juanita and Christian Clements.
Doors to the Teche will open at 6 p.m. for patrons to mingle and enjoy light refreshments before the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are on sale at the Lamplighter Antiques and Collectibles, Etc. starting today.
Also upcoming, the Jeanerette Museum presents “Out of the Shadow,” a presentation led by local author Claire Manes who is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
This event is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 26 at the museum located at 500 East Main St., Jeanerette.
Manes’ talk will focus on the site of the United States Public Health Hospital for the treatment of leprosy in Carville, La., which has been a part of Claire Manes’ journey of discovery for much of her life. Manes, a native of New Iberia and a resident of Lafayette, is the granddaughter of Edmond Gilbert Landry who was a patient in the hospital from 1924 until his death there in 1932. All four of his siblings were also leprosy patients in Carville between 1919 and 1977.
Although Manes did not personally know her grandfather, she did know that he had been in Carville and that family talk about him was taboo. Because of the silence surrounding her grandfather, Manes had a lifelong interest in learning about him. After letters from her grandfather to his family were discovered, she began a study of his writings and life at the Carville hospital.
Her research led to her doctoral studies and dissertation, “Letters from Carville: Narrating the Unspoken Story of the Landry Family” in 2007 and also to her book “Out of the Shadow of Leprosy: the Carville Letters and Stories of the Landry Family” in 2013. It is the latter book and the history of the Carville Leprosarium which will be the basis of Dr. Manes’s presentation at the Jeanerette Museum.
Manes, a teacher for most of her life, has degrees from Loyola University in New Orleans, St. Mary University in San Antonio and her doctorate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has taught primarily at the technical college level.
For more information on this free program open to adults, contact the Jeanerette Museum at 337-276-4408, visit www.jeanerettemuseum.com, email jeanerettemuseum@yahoo.com or find the museum on Facebook.