Jack London State Historic Park presents “Women Composers Not Forgotten” Piano Concert

The Jack London Piano Club, a talented group of volunteers at Jack London State Historic Park, will present a piano concert comprised exclusively of music created by women composers to celebrate their accomplishments during Women’s History Month. 

Purely by coincidence, four of the six pianists performing are women, including (alphabetically) Louise Bettner, Debbie Knapp, Esfir Ross, and Nomi Yah.

The concert will be held on the second level of the House of Happy Museum inside the park on Sunday, May 17, 2024, at 2-4:00 p.m.

Musical styles will include classical (including Amy Beach, the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music), ragtime and popular music by Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush.

The music will be performed on Charmian London’s 1901 Steinway piano, located on the second floor the House of Happy Walls, Charmian’s former home and now the museum of Jack and Charmian’s life together in the Valley of the Moon.

The Jack London Piano Club has presented concerts quarterly since 2011, raising more than $20,000 to benefit the park which is operated by a nonprofit organization and receives no public funding.

Even before she met Jack London, Charmian was an accomplished pianist.  She initially purchased the 1901 Steinway on an installment plan.  After receiving a hefty sum from his publisher, Jack gave Charmian $500 to finish payment and bring the piano to the ranch, where it became the center of entertainment for the London’s many guests.

Concert tickets are $20 per person including the parking fee (regularly $10 per car for up to nine passengers). 

The performance space can be reached only by stairway.  For more information about access, call 707- 938-5216.