The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Orchestra 914

Orchestra 914 Kicks off 2021/22 Season at the Paramount

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Two Orchestra 914 Concerts will be held at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater on November 21 and December 2

 

Orchestra 914 is pleased to present its 2021/22 Concert Season with two concerts;  November 21 and  December 2. The debut concert, Death & Transfiguration, with new Music Director, Russell Ger, takes place on Sunday, November 21 at 3pm at the Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown Street, Peekskill, NY.  Orchestra 914 strings will perform two transcendent works: Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night, in collaboration with a powerful reading by local performing artist Frank Shiner.

  “In dream analysis, death is often viewed as renewal. And in combination with the idea of transfiguration, meaning to change so as to exalt, it offers a perfect metaphor for the new journey that Orchestra 914 and I begin together this November.  Plus this program is just wonderful music!” says new Music Director Russell Ger. 

The Holiday Concert will take place on Thursday, December 2 at 7 pm, also at the Paramount Hudson Valley  and will feature Orchestra 914 performing beloved holiday favorites including The First Noel and Winter Wonderland, traditional classics from Bach and Handel, a Hanukkah medley and festive sing along. “I am truly excited that we are able to bring live musical performances to the local community this holiday season,” says Amy Harter, Co-Executive Director of Orchestra 914.  “Experiencing heartwarming music enhances the magic of the holidays.”

Orchestra 914, formerly The Chappaqua Orchestra, seeks to expand the classical music experience for diverse audiences in the Hudson Valley through creative, educational, and community programming with the highest level of artistic integrity.  In 1958, Boris Koutzen created The Chappaqua Orchestra in an effort to bring high quality classical music to Northern Westchester.

Over the years, TCO has had many incarnations, from a mix of professions and amateurs, to what is now a fully professional orchestra.  Orchestra 914 is now officially based in Pleasantville, NY, and has recently appointed Russell Ger as its new Music Director, as part of its goal to widen its geographic scope and to bring an inclusive and unexpected array of live classical music to audiences throughout Westchester, helping to build a community of music lovers of all ages and backgrounds.

Tickets and information for the November 21 concert are available at www.orchestra914.org and on the Paramount Hudson Valley website.

All guests must provide proof of vaccination and are required to wear masks in the theatre. 

Gotta Have Arts News Courtesy of Orchestra 914

Orchestra 914 presents a Flute, Clarinet and Cello Trio Concert on October 17

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Pleasantville, NY  (Sept. 18)  Orchestra 914 is pleased to present a Flute, Clarinet and Cello Trio Concert on Sunday, October 17 at  3 pm at St John’s Episcopal Church, 8 Sunnyside Avenue in Pleasantville, NY.  The Trio features Rebecca Quigley on flute, Jarrett Hoffman on clarinet and Zachary May on cello for an afternoon of mixed wind and string trios. Works will include Francois Devienne’s “Trio in Bb,”  “Seclusive Song” by Swedish Cellist Svante Henryson (b. 1963), and Emily Horton’s “Trio” (2019). The program will conclude with Australian composer Harry Sdraulig’s “Serenade” (2019), and a complete performance of American composer Brian Raphael Nabors’ (b. 1991) work “Seven Dances for Flute, Clarinet & Cello. Composer and pianist Brian Nabors’ Seven Dances is a complex piece consisting of seven contrasting miniatures representing various styles of dance and music,including tango, foxtrot and hip-hop.

Brian Raphael Nabors is a composer whose emotionally enriching music presents exciting narratives through its vibrant themes and colorful harmonic language. With an eclectic musical palate and crafty compositional technique, Nabors’ music draws from combinations of Jazz Funk, R&B, and Gospel with a modern flair for contemporary classical music. Nabors grew up in the South, and much of his music deals with new reflections on life, nature and the human condition.  This includes how music plays a role in shaping the perception of a society, and how it can be used as a tool to inspire conversations about prejudice, racism and bigotry.  Nabors earned both a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degree in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM), and prior to graduate studies he earned a Bachelor of Music Theory & Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. 

Orchestra 914, formerly The Chappaqua Orchestra, seeks to expand the classical music experience for diverse audiences in the Hudson Valley through creative, educational, and community programming with the highest level of artistic integrity.  In 1958, Boris Koutzen created The Chappaqua Orchestra in an effort to bring high quality classical music to Northern Westchester. Over the years, TCO has had many incarnations, from a mix of professions and amateurs, to what is now a fully professional orchestra.  Orchestra 914 is now officially based in Pleasantville, NY, and has recently appointed Russell Ger as its new Musical Director, as part of its goal to widen its geographic scope and to bring an inclusive and unexpected array of live classical music to audiences throughout Westchester, helping to build a community of music lovers of all ages and backgrounds.  Cynthia Peterson, a professional  pianist and performer , and long- time resident of the Hudson Valley currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Orchestra 914 Chamber Music Series.

Suggested donation is $30 at the door (accept cash, check, paypal).  Audience members attending Orchestra 914 concerts will be required to show proof of vaccination and wear a face covering indoors in accordance with current CDC guidelines.