After being unable to play in front of an audience, or practice together, for two years, the musicians in Melodious Notes Over the Harbor are looking forward to performing once again April 2, 7:30 p.m. at the San Juan Community Theater.

“We are so happy to be all together again and play for the island community,” Sue Collado, the group’s clarinet player said.

Melodious Notes has been holding annual spring concerts, and occasional summer ones, at the theater for 10 years. After moving to the island in 2010, Collado took six months to settle in before becoming involved in the community. Her husband, pianist Jim Collado, played in the theater’s rendition of “Charlie Brown.” By 2012 Sue had met enough fellow musicians, to form Melodious Notes. Besides Sue, group members include Kimberley Breilein on flute, Hanneke Klein-Robbenhaar on violin and viola, Pat Nelson on bassoon, Elizabeth Schaltenbrand on piano, cellist Sasha von Dassow and pianist Kay Zavislak.

In 2020 their spring event was canceled due to COVID and skipped altogether in 2021.

Sue explained how difficult the pandemic was on musicians, particularly those in orchestras without the ability to play with one another.

“The arts really suffered,” she said.

As a woodwind player, Sue needed to practice every day.

“I’m at the age where if I lose my lip, I may not be able to get it back, and that would affect my clarinet skills,” Sue said.

As a result, she ended up experimenting with solo pieces, the music she had never played before, just to keep herself going.

Fortunately, Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey, Executive Artistic Director of the San Juan Community Theater, organized a program called “Snapshot” which enabled the musicians to play on stage, although there was no audience.

“We felt such joy to walk into the theater, to actually get into the theater,” Sue said.

The musicians stayed six feet apart and all wore masks, except Sue who could not effectively play the clarinet masked.

“I tried to find one that might work. It went way out, like a beak, but I still could not get the clarinet inside,” she said laughing. “The gymnastics some of us have gone through.”

To maintain precautionary measures, Sue stood nine feet away from the other musicians. The two “SnapShot” concerts can be found on UTube.

Schaltenbrand and Zavislak will be playing Anton Arensky’s Six Pieces Enfantines, Op. 34 for piano four hands on April 2

“It’s a delightful fairytale,” Sue said with a twinkle in her eye. A piano four-hand means the music will be played by two pianists and no other instrument.

Frederic Chopin’s Ballade no.4 in F Minor, Op. 52 is also on the program.

“This is considered one of Chopin’s masterpieces,” Sue said. “Anything by Chopin is beautiful, emotional and masterful. Chopin takes a masterful player, and Kay is a beautiful and masterful player.”

Mambo from “West Side Story” arranged by Jim to unite all of the Melodious Notes musicians is a fast-paced, energetic number, according to Sue. “The music in “West Side Story” is hard,” she added. When asked why she thought the musical was so popular, Sue said it reflected the spirit of the times. The story itself is also timeless and could be modified to reflect the modern-day, she continued.

Melodious Notes is thrilled, Sue said to be back on stage, this time for them in person, to play for their island friends and family.

“The joy of music-making has to be made with an audience, and we hope that comes through in this concert,” Sue said.