Join us for a special night of opera and dance when Pasadena Village closes out the Centering Sounds series with a stunning performance featuring soprano Anastasia Malliaras, classical guitarist Taso Comensecu and dancers from Lineage Dance Company. A program filled with classical aurias, Greek culture and folk songs provides the perfect choreographic canvas for Lineage Artistic Director Hilary Thomas to bring Malliaras' and Comenescu's music to life. Don't miss this exceptional evening as we gather in community and immerse ourselves in the healing blend of music and movement.

Open to All. Limited Seating. Registration required. Free public parking lot in front of Lineage Performing Arts Center.

About Anastasia Malliaras:

Anastasia Malliaras is a multifaceted soprano and recording artist known for her alluring performances in both traditional opera and innovative modern projects. A true vocal storyteller, her empathetic, imaginative, and expressive nature captivates audiences no matter the performance setting or musical style. Her vocal quality is marked by a pureness in clarity as well a rich and dynamic vocal timbre that seamlessly blends an array of tone colors across her extensive vocal range. Deeply valuing collaboration amongst fellow artists and unapologetically tapping into different parts of her being have shaped Anastasia’s artistic life in an unconventional yet beautiful manner. Most recently is her collaboration with renowned pianist Eva Schaumkell. The pair teamed up with the acclaimed Norton Simon Museum for their exclusive Goya prints exhibit where they performed a program of Enrique Granados as his work is heavily influenced by the work of Goya. They have since created a program of art song that is influenced by visual art and perform concerts at art museums across the country. The second is a long term project in partnership with classical guitarist Aaron Haas, called Duo Apollon. They are a soprano and guitar duo that performs works in the standard repertoire for voice and guitar, works that are transcribed from piano, pieces by lesser known composers, and new works. In August of 2023, the duo released their first album with the classical music label Parma/Navona Records. The third continuing collaboration was born out of Anastasia’s strong connection to her Greek roots. In the summer of 2024, Anastasia was invited to be the lead singer of the acclaimed Greek Rebetiko Trio alongside guitarist Taso Comanescu and bouzouki player and co-founder of the group Dimitris Mann. The trio performs authentic Greek folk music in the Rebetiko and Laiko styles in settings ranging from cultural festivals to lecture recitals and private parties to traditional concerts. As for her operatic career, Anastasia has played the roles of Gilda, Nannetta, Susanna, Olympia, Zerbinetta, Marie and Frasquita, to name a few. Previously, Anastasia was an apprentice at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where she covered the role of Despina in Mozart’s iconic Cosí fan tutte and made her OTSL professional debut as Mrs. Hayes in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Anastasia has been a Studio Artist at Central City opera where she played Ruth Baldwin in Musto’s Later That Same Evening and has previously participated in the Young Artist Vocal Academy at Houston Grand Opera and the iSing! International Young Artist Festival. Besides roles in the standard repertoire, Anastasia has performed in world premieres and revivals including the female lead role of Marie in Tesla: A Multidisciplinary Opera, Vervaine in Le Dornier Sorcier with Sing for Hope. Accolades include placement in prestigious competitions including the Loren L. Zachary Competition, the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition at Opera San Jose and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Los Angeles District and Western Regionals. She has been featured as the soprano soloist in Messiah with the Dream Orchestra of Los Angeles and Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Saint-Saëns’ Requiem with the Ventura College Orchestra. Anastasia is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance and the University of Southern California where she earned her Master’s of Music in Vocal Arts.

About Taso Comenescu:

Taso Comanescu is an American classical guitarist known for his colorful artistry, nuanced interpretations, and dynamic range of repertoire that captivates audiences worldwide. A sought after soloist, chamber musician, and educator, Comanescu has performed extensively across the United States, Europe, and Asia. “The celebrated guitarist Taso Comanescu graced the lucky audience with a spectacular and moving evening… doing so with technical mastery and evident joy.” — The American Guitar Society, March 2025 During the 2023–2024 season, he headlined the Los Angeles Guitar Festival alongside legendary virtuosos Pepe Romero, Antonio Rey, and Adam Del Monte. His acclaimed debut album, Epitaphios, features a rich tapestry of works from around the globe, while his follow-up recording, Renaissance | Baroque, presents transcriptions of pieces originally composed for lute, vihuela, theorbo, and baroque guitar. In addition to his solo classical engagements, Comanescu regularly performs in concert with acclaimed cellist Yoshika Masuda and soprano Anastasia Malliaras. He has also collaborated with internationally renowned dramatic tenor Charles Castronovo, both in concert and on a recorded program of Neapolitan folk songs entitled Dolce Napoli. He holds degrees from Pepperdine University, where he studied with Christopher Parkening, and the University of Southern California, where he trained under Scott Tennant. Since 2011, Taso has served on the music faculty at Pepperdine University and is a featured instructor on the popular online platform EliteGuitarist.com. Outside the concert hall, he is a founding member of the rock band Blind Sparrow and an active session guitarist in the contemporary Los Angeles music scene. Taso is also a founding member of the LA iteration of the Greek Rebetiko Trio and has been with the band for over a decade. www.TasoGuitar.com

About Hilary Thomas (Lineage Artistic Director):

Hilary Thomas grew up in Pasadena and trained with The Pasadena Dance Theatre under the direction of Philip and Charles Fuller and Cynthia Young. She earned degrees in dance and psychology from Santa Clara University and continued her dance training with the Joffrey Ballet. Hilary also danced with Western Ballet in Mountain View and Benita Bike’s DanceArt Company in Los Angeles . In 1999 Hilary created Lineage Dance, a contemporary dance company dedicated to raising support and awareness for nonprofit organizations and to making the arts accessible to all. Since that time, Lineage Dance has presented over 300 performances and raised nearly $200,000 dollars for charitable, educational and nonprofit organizations across the country.  In 2010 the company opened the Lineage Performing Arts Center in Old Pasadena as a community hub designed to encourage community awareness through the arts.  Hilary has earned various awards for her artistic work in the community: the Beverly Hills Outlook selected her as one of top choreographers of 2004 and 2005, she received the “Gold Crown Award” from the Pasadena Arts Council in 2006, and was nominated by “THE” Magazine as one of Pasadena’s top 50 creative artists in 2011.

About Lineage Dance Company:

Lineage’s 25 year history is that of a dance company that grew into a community cultural hub and performing arts center for Pasadena and the surrounding areas. Founded by Artistic Director Hilary Thomas in 1999, Lineage began as a dedicated group of artists committed to raising funds and awareness for local nonprofits with dance performances, and incorporated into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2007. In 2009, thanks to a connection to the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for Parkinson’s program, Lineage’s dancers learned about the power of dance in managing symptoms of neurological challenges like Parkinson’s, and launched a series of free weekly dance classes for neurotypical adults. 

The company is located in Northwest Pasadena–an area identified by residents as under-resourced in arts opportunities. After a year of intensive community outreach that confirmed that our presence was desired, Lineage completed a $650,000 capital campaign which transformed a long-abandoned property into a new community arts hub. 

Now, Lineage is hosting dance and creative arts classes onsite six days a week, producing more than eight dance and theater shows annually, hosting partnering artist and organization residencies, and holding community meetings and events in our new home. Our thriving Artists in Schools program now works with over 350 public schools students in Pasadena to create a pipeline of dance in the Pasadena Unified School District. We’ve held many community events in our space, including city council-member and neighborhood meetings, and a climate-change concert. In addition,  Lineage gives back to the community by  providing a theatre facility for other nonprofits who do not have their own venue.  

If you have any questions, please contact our Program Associate Gina Baffo (events@pasadenavillage.org).

See the other Centering Sounds Concerts on the calendar here.

Tuesday, October 2: Journey Through the Landscape of Jazz

Wednesday, October 8: Healing Power of Music

Wednesday, October 15: Classic Rock, New Wave Hits

Wednesday, October 22: An Evening of Opera & Dance