Just Announced!
On Stage from the State Presents an Exclusive Performance by
Thomas Walsh & Melinda Martinez Becker
Sponsored by the Walsh Family
Thomas specializes in contemporary music for the ten-string guitar. He works with contemporary classical composers, such as Zad Moultaka and Golfam Khayam, collaborating in the vibrant musical scenes of England and abroad. He is currently involved in a production of Dušan Bogdanovič’s CROW - a "Ballet Poeme," featuring a mesmerizing blend of music and dance.
As a multi-faceted performer singing a diverse repertoire of baroque, contemporary classical, mariachi and experimental works, Melinda’s New Mexican and Jewish heritage has shaped her career as a performer of art song in Spanish, Ladino, Yiddish and a variety of other languages. "Throughout the program, mezzo-soprano Becker effortlessly switched tracks, from light Baroque singing to all the various demands of the new works." (San Francisco Classical Voice)
Thomas was the founding member of the fado duo which released the world premiere recording of Matilde Salvador’s “Endechas y Cantares” in 2013. He has spent the past three years researching the works of the late French composer, Maurice Ohana, to bring forth a faithful contemporary rendition of his music for 10-string guitar. Ohana’s sound world is multi-layered, incorporating elements from Flamenco tradition, African, and French 20th century music, especially the influence of Debussy.
Now residing in London, Thomas has performed in the US, France, England, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain. He graduated from the Baltimore School of Arts and has studied at the San Francisco Conservatory, Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot (Paris, France), Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin (Strasbourg, France), and Trinity College of Music (London, UK). He has been an educator since 2008 and has been teaching at San Francisco’s French International school for the arts in since 2013 in addition to maintaining an active private teaching studio.
Running time: 1h with Intermission
Tuesday,
April 7,
2026
7:00 PM
Location— Odd Fellows Lodge #7, 1226½ Lincoln Way in Auburn