"Patti Loach ... a woman at the top of her powers. Her playing is precise and spirited and her presence - with buzzing energy in a thin frame, and wiry blonde hair that threatens to explode - often belies her role as a "mere" background performer."
In their own words....
Jean: How does it work that two women who are so different can bump up against one another and make this connection?
Patti: I was Chopin and Sondheim, sensible shoes and Mom-jeans, and dinners at home with my family and friends.
Jean: I was Bizet and Weill, designer dresses and tattoos, and a life lived in the theatre with room service at midnight.
Patti: The answer is that when we first met, we recognized in each other women who choose to live rich, full lives.
Jean: Honest lives. Lives lived on our own terms.
Patti: Lives full of passion, good coffee and belly laughs. (Here's proof.)
Jean: And the bonus is, along the way, we discovered that we love making music together.
Patti: Friends first. The music followed.
"What makes this evening is the sheer force and presence of Stilwell and Loach on the stage. These two women not only know how to make music, they know how to connect." John Terauds, Toronto Star
"Jean and Patti’s musical connection is supported by a tremendous friendship, which makes this collaboration even more wonderful to observe. A good model for all singer/pianist relationships; when you find this irreplaceable musical partnership, hang on to it and don’t be afraid to look at your colleague every so often and say, without speaking….Ne me quitte pas." Mary Lou Vetere, Opera Today