Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Met Live in HD
The Hudson Valley Philharmonic (HVP) has two more concerts before Christmas. On Saturday, November 8, at 8 p.m., celebrated actor David Strathairn will narrate Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will play some of their own compositions and arrangements, including Ungar’s “biggest hit,” “Ashokan Farewell.” The concert also includes Dvorák’s New World Symphony. Both concerts take place at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie.
On Saturday, December 20 at 2 p.m., at the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, the HVP will perform Handel’s Messiah with full chorus and singalong opportunities for the audience. Tickets cost $32 to $54 ($25 to $50 for Messiah). For information on the HVP’s concerts, go to www.bardavon.org or call the Bardavon box office at (845) 743-2072 or UPAC at (845) 339-6088.
Also at the Bardavon and UPAC, you can see the Metropolitan Opera HD Live broadcasts, which are in quite amazing audio and video quality. That season opens on October 11 with Verdi’s Macbeth at the Bardavon. Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro takes place on October 18 at UPAC, Bizet’s Carmen on November 1 at the Bardavon and Rossini’s Barber of Seville on November 22, also at the Bardavon. All these broadcasts begin at 1 p.m. and are preceded at 12:30 p.m. by an introductory talk.
Saugerties Pro Musica
If Saugerties Pro Musica (SPM)’s opening concert by the splendid pianist Inesa Sinkevych was any indication, that organization is due for an outstanding season. On October 19, there will be a momentary departure from SPM’s basically classical orientation with the Swingtime Duo of Terry Blaine and Mark Shane. We don’t yet know the performers for the November 9 concert, but it will involve musicians from the Bard College Conservatory of Music: generally a guarantee of quality.
All SPM concerts take place on Sundays at 3 p.m. at the Saugerties United Methodist Church, on the corner of Washington Avenue and Post Street. Tickets cost $12 general admission, $10 for seniors, free for students. Information can be found at www.saugertiespromusica.org or by calling (845) 679-5733.
Bard College Conservatory, American Symphony Orchestra
As usual, the Bard College schedule of music performances is far too large to be summarized briefly. Here are some outstanding fall events.
The excellent Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer will lead the Conservatory Chamber Singers and Orchestra, with soloists from Bard’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program, in Mozart’s Requiem on Friday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sosnoff Theater. It will be preceded by a panel discussion at 4 p.m. at the Bitó Conservatory Building.
The American Symphony Orchestra under Leon Botstein performs two large Romantic masterpieces, Chopin’s First Piano Concerto (Maryna Kysla, soloist) and Schubert’s Ninth Symphony, at the Sosnoff Theater on Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25. Violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn plays the legendary “Red Stradivarius” violin in works of Schubert, Fauré, Liszt and Beethoven at the Sosnoff on Saturday, November 15 at 8 p.m.
These concerts have varying admission prices. There are numerous other “smaller” events at Bard, many of them free. Unfortunately the information is split between two websites, but they’re both worth visiting: www.conservatoryconcerts.bard.edu and www.fishercenter.bard.edu.
SUNY-New Paltz
Other area colleges have more-modest-but-still-worthwhile offerings. SUNY-New Paltz’s Julien J. Studley Theatre has a Beethoven Meets Mozart concert, with pianist Alex Peh and members of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, featuring both composers’ quintets for piano and winds, on Tuesday, October 28 at 8 p.m. On November 11, also at Studley, faculty pianists Ruthanne Schempf, Sylvia Buccelli and Peh join piano students for a Piano Riot of four- and six-hand piano music at 8 p.m. There’s also a Symphonic Band concert on November 18 at Studley at 8 p.m., and three Chamber Jazz Ensemble concerts there on November 20, 24 and 25.
The college’s Collegium Musicum plays medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music at Shepard Recital Hall on Sunday, December 7 at 3 p.m. Tickets for all cost a modest $8 general admission, $6 for seniors and $3 for students. Check out www.newpaltz.edu/artnews.
SUNY-Ulster
Aside from the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra Christmas concert, SUNY-Ulster has a Showcase Concert on Wednesday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Quimby Theater, featuring all the school’s performing ensembles. The Wind/Percussion Ensemble plays on December 2 at 7:30 p.m.; an Honors Recital of solo and chamber performances on December 4 at 3 p.m.; a choral concert and guitar ensemble on December 5 at 7:30 p.m.; and the String Ensemble concert on Monday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.
All concerts take place at Quimby Theater on the SUNY-Ulster campus in Stone Ridge. See the full events calendar at www.sunyulster.edu.
Vassar College
Vassar College concerts take place at the college’s Skinner Theater and are usually free to the public. The College Orchestra, conducted by Eduardo Navega, performs on Saturday, October 11 at 8 p.m. The New York American Choral Directors’ Association has a series of concerts by several ensembles on Friday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, November 1 at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
A performance of Orff’s popular Carmina Burana with two-piano accompaniment, conducted by Christine Howlett, occurs on Saturday, November 15 at 8 p.m. On the 16th at 3 p.m., cellist Sophie Shao plays a recital of unaccompanied cello music by Bach and Reger. On Sunday the 23rd at 3 p.m., a stellar ensemble of singers and pianists will perform both sets of Brahms’s wonderful Liebeslieder Waltzes.
For information on these and other events, go to https://music.vassar.edu/concerts.
Kairos: A Consort of Singers
Kairos: A Consort of Singers celebrates its 20th anniversary with a complete performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor, with orchestra, led by Dr. Edward Lundergan, on Sunday, November 9 at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church at 34 South Chestnut Street in New Paltz. Tickets normally cost $25, $22 and $7, but adult full-price tickets cost $20 if ordered by October 15. See www.kairosconsort.org for ordering and other information.
Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra
The Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra (NDSO), which is building a good reputation, offers an all-American concert on Sunday, October 26 at 3 p.m. at the Rhinebeck High School Auditorium. Music director Kathleen Beckmann will conduct two works of Samuel Barber: his famous Adagio for Strings, and the Violin Concerto with NDSO concertmaster Marka Young as soloist. The program also includes works of William Grant Still, an early-20th-century African American composer, and Howard Hanson.
In April this ensemble will make its first visit to Ulster County, with a concert including music of the late Woodstock master Robert Starer. Ticket prices are $20, $15 and $5, and information is available at www.ndsorchestra.org.
Newburgh Chamber Music Society
The Newburgh Chamber Music Society will devote all three concerts of its 2014/15 season to the American String Quartet, continuing its complete Beethoven cycle. The first of these takes place on October 12 at 3 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church at 105 Grand Street in Newburgh. The cycle concludes in 2015. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $5 for students. For information and tickets, go to www.newburghchambermusic.org.
Ars Choralis
The excellent chorus Ars Choralis, under its music director Barbara Pickhardt, will perform its traditional Christmas concerts, Welcome Yule: Make We Merry, on December 13 at 7 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Kingston and on December 14 at 4 p.m. at Overlook United Methodist Church in Woodstock. No program has been announced yet, but the website, www.arschoralis.org, will have it well before the concert date.
This year the chorus is adding a New Year’s Eve concert, Messengers of Peace, on December 31 at 7 p.m. at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston.
Howland Chamber Music Circle
The venerable Howland Chamber Music Circle continues its 26th season on October 19, as the Jupiter String Quartet plays quartets of Schubert and Beethoven, and is joined by pianist Ilya Yakushev, a Maverick Concerts favorite, for the Franck Piano Quintet. On November 9, Trio Cavatina, winner of the 2009 Naumberg Chamber Music Competition, also plays works of Beethoven and Schubert, adding a newly commissioned trio by Douglas Boyce.
The series continues in January with the 2015 Piano Festival and more chamber concerts in March. All concerts take place on Sundays at 4 p.m. at the Howland Cultural Center at 477 Main Street in Beacon. Since the Center is a small venue and the performers are so prestigious, I strongly recommend getting tickets early for any of these events. Go to www.howlandmusic.org or call (845) 297-9243.
Now you have no more excuse for staying home!
