Patty VanLandschoot
Patty's a classic
Patty Van Landschoot is the Park’s rock star of classical music.
Her years of tireless effort, combined with the persistence of programmer Michael Pilhofer, laid the foundation for Park’s first-ever Chamber Series.
The three-concert series kicks off March 20 with “Histoire,” a violin and piano recital of French music. In May, a string trio, plus piano, delivers an evening of musical variety including Mozart. The series concludes in November with a string quartet and piano performance of holiday-themed music.
Patty has been bringing classical music to the Park since 2009, but her love of music has been lifelong. She taught choral music in grades K-12 for over 40 years and has been involved with all levels of church choir music for 60.
She and her husband, David, moved to Hayward from Superior 19 years ago. She immediately became involved with the Chequamegon Children’s Theater as their rehearsal pianist and stayed with that for fifteen years until arthritis caused her to retire.
“I’m not the pianist I used to be, but I still am actively involved in directing the First Lutheran Church Choir,” Patty said.
Another passion is handbells, and she’s developed many ensembles over the past 45 years.
She started an adult hand chime choir in Hayward five years ago that has rung at the Park several times.
“I like all genres of music,” she said, “but I included classical music with all of my teaching endeavors because it is the top level of any repertoire.”
It was that love of classical music that motivated Patty to become its champion at the Park.
“Our folks in Hayward don't have much access to classical music,” she said. “Since there is no symphony or university orchestra nearby, we feel our concertgoers have a gap in the area of classical music entertainment. We have come up short!”
She understands that the Park’s mission is to offer many styles and genres of music.
“Rock music is great; so is blues and country, Celtic, jazz, R&B, and folk, but the most difficult of all is classical music,” Patty said. “Its composition can be more complex and less understood, but it can also be extremely beautiful. Why has classical music stood the test of time? Why is the music of composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy still being played after hundreds of years? Because it is so good. It is timeless. AND Classical musicians study for years to become good enough to play it.”
It has always been a challenge to find classical artists to perform in Hayward, said Patty. The Piatigorsky Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing live classical music to communities across the county, has been a source for many Park concerts, but the last-minute nature of their scheduling has often been difficult to accommodate and promote.
Nor have they attracted large audiences, much to Patty’s frustration.
“That’s why I’m so happy that Michael suggested trying a Classical Music Series,” she said. “He has connections to musical artists from the Twin Cities Area and has assembled an interesting series of programs and musicians.
The Park Center is offering a discounted ticket package for all three performances for a limited time. Three $25 tickets for $60, a savings of $15. CLICK HERE if you’d like to take advantage of this discounted offer. Please note the bundled package is not refundable.
The Park Centers 2026 Chamber Series includes:
March 20: "HISTOIRE" featuring violinist Hannah Kennedy and pianist Casey Rafn presenting an evening of French music, from 1700 to today. Music of French composers Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, Lili Boulanger, and more.
May 23: "COLLAGE“ Join Hannah Kennedy (violin), Alexandra Sophocleus (viola), Ruth Marshall (cello), and Casey Rafn (piano) for an evening of musical variety, joy, and collaboration, including works by Mozart and more.
November 21: "HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA" The exceptional talents of Hannah (violin), Alexandra (viola), Ruth (cello), Casey (piano), along with special guests, return to The Park Center for an unforgettable evening of holiday-themed classical music.