From her youngest years, Cheri has had two major passions in life – the fascinating science of cooking and siren’s lure of beautiful music.  She surprised her mother by refusing to attend Sunday School at the tender age of five, a chronic problem that resolved itself a year later when she could move into the room with the “pinano.”  She began studying piano at age seven, adding the harp at age ten.  Due to a move to Germany in her teen years, she had to leave her harp behind and turned her attention to vocal music, singing the female lead in her school’s production of The Student Prince.  Upon returning to the University of Washington for her freshman year, she again picked up her study of the harp, declaring a performance major at the end of her sophomore year.  Her performances since then have been wide-spread, including stints with popular groups like Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra and engagements with Pacific Lutheran University Symphony, Tacoma Symphony and a tour with Seattle Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly.

A move to the Long Beach Peninsula shortly after the birth of her daughter precluded a career in harp performance, and she turned her attention to her other passion in life, cooking, becoming a celebrated chef at the Shoalwater Restaurant in Seaview, Washington.  After 13 years at the helm, she left the Shoalwater to open her own restaurant, the 42^nd Street Café, also in Seaview.  During this time she was asked to play the harp in a Maddox Dance Studio production of The Nutcracker Ballet, rekindling her interest in harp performance.  After several year of borrowing harps, she was able to purchase her lovely Lyon & Healy Concert Harp from Jean Aarnio of Astoria.  She continues to play the Nutcracker Ballet every year in Astoria, and has recently joined the North Oregon Coast Symphony.  She plays most every Sunday night in her restaurant from October through Mother’s Day, as well as weddings, special events and receptions.  So life has come full circle for her, and she couldn’t be more thrilled to be playing for the Water Music Festival in her own community.

For more information on Cheri you can visit her restaurant website at www.42ndstreetcafe.com.