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Concert at Smith Elementry School in New Britain Concert at J.P.II Elementry School in New Britain Concert at J.P.II Elementry School in New Britain
NEW BRITAIN HERITAGE
Andrzej Anweiler - Symphony No. 1
Faure - Elegie for Cello and Orchestra
op. 24
Richard Cumming - Threnody for Solo Cello
Jennifer Combs - cello
Beethoven - Fifth
Symphony
Fri. 10/22/2010, 8
p.m. Welte Hall, CCSU, New Britain
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Admission to the event is free, a free will offering will be collected
at the event.
Press Release: CT VIRTUOSI NEWS – THE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA BEGINS THE SEASON WITH
A TRIBUTE TO THE NEW BRITAIN ARTISTS, PERFORMS BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH…
The
Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra presents its inaugural concert
of the 2010-2011 season titled “NEW BRITAIN HERITAGE”. The concert
will take place at Welte Hall at CCSU in New Britain on Friday,
October 22, at 8PM.
The evening’s repertoire includes Andrzej Anweiler’s Symphony No. 1,
Faure’s Elegie for Cello and Orchestra op. 24, Richard Cumming’s
Threnody for Cello Solo, and Beethoven’s famous Beethoven's Symphony
No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67. The program will be conducted by Maestro
Adrian Sylveen.
Polish-American composer and pianist Andrzej Anweiler has
written music for radio and the theater, chamber music and two
ballets, including the score for Heritage, a ballet for television
based on the immigrant experience on Ellis Island, and the multimedia
historical musical, Grudka Ziemi: Song of the Beloved Country,
describing Poland’s two-hundred year struggle for independence. He
created the music for Gogol’s “The Overcoat”, a dramatic pantomime by
Rajmund Klechot, which was premiered in Dayton, Ohio, and performed to
critical success in New York and at the Kennedy Center in Washington,
D.C. after winning top honors at the national American College Theater
Festival. He also received a “Meritorious Achievement Award” from the
Kennedy Center for his music to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”.
In the fall of 2004, following the devastating hurricanes in Florida,
he wrote an anthem for soloist, chorus and orchestra, called "We Stand
Together", extolling the spirit and resilience of the people of
Florida as they rebuilt from the ruins. It was given an emotional and
moving performance by the Charlotte Symphony in November of 2004.
Recent works included Concertino for Piano & Small Orchestra, the
Symphony # 1, performed in Connecticut and New York, Piano Quartet and
the Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano, both premiered at Music Mountain
in Falls Village, CT. The Capriccio for Clarinet and Orchestra had its
first performance in April 2004, and Diversions for Two Clarinets was
premiered at the international ClarinetFest in Tokyo, Japan in July
2005 and will be released on CD in the fall of 2008.
Mr. Anweiler is listed in the prestigious American Keyboard Artists
and was included in the recently published Polish-American Who’s Who.
The Guest Artist of the evening will be American cellist Jennifer
Combs. Born in
Louisiana
and raised in a family of musicians, Combs began playing the cello
when she was ten years of age. Three years latter, after studies with
the brilliant cellist and teacher, Scott Ballantyne, Leonard Rose
invited her to join his class at the Juilliard School in New York
City. She attended the Professional Children’s School while
maintaining a demanding schedule at Juilliard. Ms. Combs earned her
Bachelor’s Degree at Juilliard and went on to graduate with a Master’s
Degree from Northern Illinois University where her teacher was Marc
Johnson of the Vermeer Quartet. Ms. Combs spent her summers at the
Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, and was a
recipient of the festival’s highest honor, the “Bloomfield Award.” As
a member of the festival’s Eastern Chamber Players, she collaborated
with violinists Arnold Steinhardt, Miriam Fried and Franco Gulli, as
well as pianist Charles Rosen.
In 1990, Ms. Combs accepted a position as a core musician of the
Richmond Symphony in Virginia. She gave solo and chamber music
recitals at Virginia Commonwealth University, was a founding member of
the resident quartet at the University, and gave recitals at the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the University of Richmond. Richmond
audiences and press celebrated her performances. An avid chamber
musician, Ms. Combs spent her summers participating in festivals
including the Skaneateles Chamber Music Festival in New York State and
the Garth Newel Music Center in Warm Springs, Virginia.
Since moving to New Britain, Connecticut, in 1997, Ms. Combs has been
Principal Cellist of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, a
member of the Hartford Symphony, was appointed as String Department
Chair at the Hartford Conservatory, and founded two chamber music
programs at the legendary Music Mountain in Falls Village,
Connecticut, for which she serves as Artistic Director. Traveling
frequently as a performer, Ms. Combs has been a guest of the Chicago
Chamber Musicians, and recently gave a live radio broadcast
performance featuring Bach’s Suite in G Major for Cello Alone and the
Brahms Clarinet Trio with pianist Deborah Sobol and clarinetist, Larry
Combs. Dedicated to education, Ms. Combs joined the faculty at the
Juilliard School in 2005 in the Pre-College Division’s Chamber Music
Department. At Juilliard she works with seven varied chamber groups
and prepares many of them for performances at Lincoln Center.
Ms. Combs performs nationally as soloist with an impressive list of
orchestras and as the cellist of the Anweiler-Combs Duo (cello and
piano). The Anweiler-Combs Duo’s most recent activities included a
successful tour of South West Florida with an enthusiastic final
reception at the Steinway Gallery in Bonita Springs. Ms. Combs’ cello
was made by Jon Van Kouwenhoven, and is among the finest modern
instruments in the world.
The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra is a Connecticut's premier
professional chamber orchestra dedicated to presenting both
traditional and contemporary classical chamber works to the public.
The orchestra was established in 1997.
The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, led by founder and
Artistic Director Adrian Sylveen continues to grow in size and
repertoire, presenting approximately twenty five regular and
educational performances each year in New Britain, New London,
Middletown, New York, and, since fall of 2009, in Waterbury. Over the
last decade the orchestra also performed in Hartford, Mystic, Meriden,
CT, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The mission of Virtuosi is to preserve and perpetuate the great
traditions of chamber music through the expansion of its public
performance season, its education series, and, by showcasing the
excellence of regional talent. In the choice of repertoire special
attention is given to music from Eastern Europe.
The organization consists of a Music/Executive Director, approximately
20 professional Musicians, and administrative staff of two.
In addition to performances the Orchestra makes an effort to enrich
the community by providing other programs such as free tickets to the
local schools, lectures etc.
A frequent guest at the Kosciusko Foundation’s Chamber Music Series,
in 2003 the Virtuosi was invited to perform at the Gala Concert
celebrating the 25th anniversary of John Paul II papacy. In the same
year the group became the permanent orchestra of the New London based
Connecticut Lyric Opera.
Contact info:
www.thevirtuosi.org, Phone: 860-229-207 |