Wilson Performing Arts hosting holiday piano concert Sat.

RED OAK — The Performing Arts and Education Association of Southwest Iowa will present Pat Dunbar and Larry Mannasmith in a duo Holiday Piano Concert on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.. 

Pat and Larry will each be performing on Steinway grand pianos, the concert grand at the Wilson Performing Arts Center and the other borrowed from the Red Oak High School. This concert will begin with familiar classical and standard favorites, such as the Theme from Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hungarian Rhapsody #2 by Franz Liszt. 

Pat and Larry will play renditions of Holiday selections, including Sleigh Ride. The concert will conclude with a sing-along of Christmas Carols and songs of the season.

Dunbar has been comfortable on a piano bench since the age of five. She took lessons from local teachers throughout grade school and high school, accompanying school and church choirs since 7th grade and participating in piano competitions throughout high school.

Pat continued her music education as a piano major in college, and then decided to change her primary focus to Social Work. She was an accompanist in the vocal music department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha while completing her BS in Social Work.

Her most rewarding musical experiences include accompanying the Gospel quartet, The Marksmen, in which her husband, Jim performed. Pat completed her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work in 1994 and currently is a private practice mental health therapist in Red Oak.

Mannasmith is the Assistant Director of Ad-missions-Iowa Represen-tative at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. He retired from Red Oak High School in 2005 after 35 years as director of choral music.

His choirs received superior I ratings at Iowa state music contests for 29 consecutive years. He directed the high school musical theater productions and took the Minnisingers across the U.S. on twelve summer tours. Larry is also the Dunbar – Mannasmith director of music at the Presbyterian Church of Red Oak, serving as organist/pianist and choir director for the past 36 years. He received his BA in music education from NWMSU and did graduate work at WMSU and the University of Iowa.

General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased in advance at the PAEA Office or at the door.