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
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.