There aren’t many concert halls in close proximity to the residents of Norwalk, according to Andrew Maz, chair of the music department at Cerritos College.

“If you want to see a concert in this area, you have the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, which isn’t doing much these days, downtown Los Angeles and Santa Ana,” he said.

That’s just one of the reasons for the Faculty Gala, which was hosted at the Burnight Center Theatre, on Sunday, Nov. 15.

Maz added that the Faculty Gala also brings classical music to the surrounding community.

The other reason is to raise money for scholarships for music students.

There were several performances by Cerritos College faculty including:

• Andrew Maz, performing J.S. Bach on the guitar.
• Tammy Sai, violin, Cheri Hutchison, viola, Manon Robertshaw, cello and Peggy Lee, piano performing Mozart.
• Sung Ae Lee and Christine S. Lopez on the piano performing Gabriel Fauré.
• Tammi Sai, violin and Bruce Russell on piano performing Johannes Brahms.
• Conrad Immel baritone singer with Christine S. Lopez on the piano.
• Paul DaSilva and Christine S. Lopez on piano performing Claude Debussy.
• Keren Schweitzer, flute and Sung Ae Lee on piano performing Theobald Boehm.
• Christine S. Lopez and Greg Schreiner on piano performing Richard Addinsell.

Lee, piano professor, said, “I felt great, always excited to be on the stage and sharing my music. It was really fun.”

She said that playing the piano has been her joy and her outlet to let out her passion and love for music.

“It’s always exciting playing for an audience especially if there’s a student I feel like this is going to be highly educational opportunity to learn about classical music and have that appreciation,” she said.

Betty and Joe Imperato, residents of Norwalk, were in attendance of the gala and enjoyed the music.

“I loved the classical guitar and we were here for the piano, but I loved the flute, she was outstanding,” Betty said.

“The whole program was really well done, we know Paul DaSilva personally, he plays the piano at our church,” Joe said.

The gala enjoyed a good turnout, said Dr. Christine Lopez.

“Of course it’s always hard to see from the stage you try to judge it from the clapping but I can’t always tell,” she joked.

Lopez had been performing in the gala for 22 years.

“Today I was comfortable with all the pieces, some of them I’ve played before like the Debussy or Fauré so I felt really good,” she added.