Hartt Wind Ensemble Director Glen Adsit Conducts HSO in ABBA’s Greatest Hits
HARTFORD, May 22, 2009 – Mamma Mia! The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will bring the solid gold hits of 70’s musical superstars ABBA to life at ABBAMANIA! on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows. Led by Hartt School Wind Ensemble Director Glen Adsit, the HSO will team up with the four members of the internationally acclaimed ABBA tribute band ABBAMANIA to play ABBA’s greatest hits out under the stars at Simsbury Meadows.
Since the recent release of the movie Mamma Mia, ABBA’s popularity has soared to new heights. The HSO’s show will satisfy even the most avid ABBA fan as it recreates the look and sound of ABBA with dazzling costumes and powerful vocals. With the HSO playing back-up, ABBAMANIA will cover ABBA’s most popular songs, including Dancing Queen, Fernando, and Waterloo. HSO Executive Director Kristen Phillips says, “This is a unique opportunity to hear ABBA’s greatest hits fully orchestrated by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra – an experience that can’t be captured on radio or recordings.”
Says guest conductor Glen Adsit, “I am thrilled to conduct the Hartford Symphony this summer at the Talcott Mountain Music Festival. From the baby boomers through to the youth of today, ABBA still strikes a common chord and will have everyone dancing on the lawn.”
In ABBAMANIA’s lead role of Anni-Frid, Monica Tietz is a professional singer who hails from Penetang, Canada. Ms. Tietz is an excellent drummer and played drums and sang lead in “Bounty,” “Jagged Little Pill,” and the theatre show called “The Spice Girls,” a musical tribute to the Spice Girls. She also does studio session work for Canadian radio commercials.
Born in Hanover, Canada, Mathew Whale plays Benny in ABBAMANIA. After studying music at the Toronto Conservatory, Mr. Whale played keyboard in the musical productions of Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, and Pink Floyd. He does a lot of studio session work and is rated as one of the best pop pianists in Canada.
A native of Toronto, Canada, Andrea Pressburger graduated from the University of Windsor with a degree in Musical Theatre. She has toured the world on cruise ships, performed in a number of Canadian theatre shows, and done extensive radio and television commercials. Ms. Pressburger plays Agnetha in ABBAMANIA.
Born in Bridge, England, Nick Pattison now lives in Ajax, Canada where he teaches music and performs as Bjorn in ABBAMANIA. Mr. Pattison has been in a variety of productions, including everything from night club acts to funk, rock, country, and blues bands and theatre shows. He has an arts degree from Queens University and an American Guild of Music Award for guitar.
Glen Adsit is associate director of the Instrumental Studies Division and the Director of Bands at The Hartt School, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Contemporary Players Ensemble, teaches undergraduate conducting, and guides all aspects of the graduate wind conducting degrees. His professional conducting includes many concerts with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and a series of educational concerts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to his professional orchestral experience, he also conducted the University of Michigan All-State Intermediate Orchestra for seven years at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.
Ticket Prices: Individual Concerts: Adult Lawn Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the gate. Tickets for Kids 12 & under: $5. Single Table Seats (per seat): $40 in advance, $45 at the gate. Full Table (8 seats): $320 in advance, $360 at the gate.
Grass Passes: (10 lawn tickets to be used in any combination for any of the five concerts) Adult Grass Passes: $200. Grass Passes for Kids 12 and under: $50. New this year – Special Family Package: 12 lawn tickets – 6 kids and 6 adults: $150.
Series Subscriptions: Five-Concert subscriptions for single table seats: $190 per seat (save $10 off individual concert price). Five-Concert subscriptions for full eight-seat tables: $1,420 per table (save $180 off individual concert price).
Prices include a $2 per adult ticket and 50¢ per child ticket facility fee paid to the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows.
Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. Concerts are held rain or shine. The festival site is located on Iron Horse Boulevard, parallel to Hopmeadow Street (Rt. 10/202), in downtown Simsbury. The Hartford Symphony Education Tent, open to all ticket holders, is open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 pm. Children can enjoy free activities such as face-painting, crafts, games and the “Instrument Zoo.”
Tickets for the Talcott Mountain Music Festival are available (before June 1st) in person at Hartford Symphony Orchestra Ticket Services, 99 Pratt Street, Suite 500 in Hartford, Monday through Friday between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Patrons wishing to purchase tickets in person after June 1st can do so at the remote box office on the Talcott Mountain Music Festival site in Simsbury. Tickets also can be purchased by calling (860) 244-2999, or online 24/7 at www.talcottmountain.org.
The 2009 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is presented by Chubb, with additional support from The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc; The Hilton; The Town of Simsbury; Falcetti Music; Paine’s, Inc; Piano and Organ Warehouse; Walker System Support; Bloomfield Public Schools; Crowne Plaza Hartford Downtown; Ensign Bickford Industries; HB Group, Inc.; Landmark Partners; LES Investment Partners; Seabury at Home; Show Lighting; Simscroft Echo Farms, Inc; Avon Old Farms Hotel; Bank of America; CIGNA; The Drake Hill Mall Merchants Association; Federman, Lally, & Remis; Harvey & Lewis Opticians; MetroBis; Simsbury Bank; Simsbury Inn; Trumpf, Inc.; and Viking Fuel Oil. The 2009 Talcott Mountain Music Festival media partners are WCCC-AM (Beethoven Radio) & WCCC-FM (The Rock); WDRC-AM & WDRC-FM; WHCN-FM (The River); and WRCH-FM, WTIC-AM, and WTIC-FM. Sponsors listed as of May 19, 2009.
Marking its 66th season in 2009-2010, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is Connecticut’s premier musical organization. The Hartford Symphony is the second largest orchestra in New England and is widely recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. Dedicated to the performance of live symphonic music and the presentation of quality education and community programs, each season the Hartford Symphony plays to audiences numbering approximately 160,000 and reaches thousands statewide through its broadcast concerts on WNPR Connecticut Public Radio. Supported by more than 5,000 subscribers and 3,000 donors, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s extensive array of Musical Pathways educational activities serves more than 64,000 individuals in Hartford and surrounding communities annually. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. For more information about the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, please visit www.HartfordSymphony.org.
EDITORS: To request an interview with ABBAMANIA or Glen Adsit, please contact Katie Bonner at (860) 246-8742 ext. 317 or at kbonner@hartfordsymphony.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Interviews will be arranged on a first-come, first-served basis. Please update calendar listings to reflect performance schedule and admission information above. All programs, performers, and prices are subject to change.