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# French songs to spill out of SMC By Daily Press staff
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/french-songs-to-spill-out-of-smc-by-daily-press-staff/
- Published: 2003-10-24T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:07:43.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Pico, #archive-import

The Emmy Award-winning Santa Monica College Opera Theatre is proud to present “An Evening of Art Songs,” featuring soprano Suzie Hanks and collaborative artist Natalie Limonick at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 in the SMC Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd.

The special evening of French songs — featuring selections by Faure, Debussy, Hahn and Poulenc — is a benefit for the SMC Opera Theatre and SMC Foundation. Tickets are $16\. For information, call (310) 434-3000\. Hanks, a Wisconsin native, began singing professionally in summer stock and musical theater when she was a teenager. An accountant for the SMC Foundation, she returned to her singing five years ago and has embarked on a recital career specializing in art song and opera. Her debut performing Robert Schumann’s art songs at SMC in November 2001 received rave reviews and she returns by popular demand performing with the renowned Limonick, her mentor and teacher.

Limonick is a distinguished vocal coach, conductor, lecturer, pianist and accompanist. Among her many mentors are such musical giants as Lotte Lehman, Jan Popper, Walter Ducloux, Hugo Strelitzer, Wolfgang Martin, Maurice Abravanel, Martial Singher and Fritz Zweig. A former professor of music and general director of opera at the University of Southern California, she is one of the first women and first Americans to coach at Bayreuth in Germany and has been associated for several decades with the Music Academy of the West.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/102403-16_01.jpg)

Hanks, left, and Natalie Limonick. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Suzie)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 24, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102403.pdf?ref=smdp.com)