Hartford Symphony Orchestra

Guest Artist Shodekeh to Perform Beatboxing Concerto with Hartford Symphony Orchestra

HARTFORD, December 16, 2011 – To celebrate the New Year, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will take a look back and a step forward at Brahms & Beatboxing on Thursday, January 5 – Sunday, January 8, 2012 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by Music Director Carolyn Kuan, the HSO will couple Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 – a masterpiece from the Romantic Era – with composer Jan Mikael Vainio’s Fujiko’s Fairy Tale, a modern concerto for beatboxer and orchestra featuring the virtuosic talents of Shodekeh.  The program also will include Johann Strauss’s New Year’s Day tradition, Overture to Die Fledermaus.

Music Director Carolyn Kuan says, “Orchestral music has such a rich history, yet is evolving constantly as musical tastes grow and develop. On this New Year’s program it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to look back at one of the great masterworks- Brahms’ First Symphony- and to explore some of the newer music and art forms that exist today. We are thrilled to have Shodekeh share his virtuosic beatboxing talents with us for a unique concerto, Fujiko’s Fairy Tale for Beatboxer and Orchestra.”

In 1853, a young Johannes Brahms was pressured by his contemporaries to continue the German musical legacy that had been laid down by Bach and Beethoven.  Overwhelmed by Beethoven’s recent success with his Ninth Symphony, it took Brahms more than 15 years to complete his first symphony, but it was worth the wait. Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 is a work of supreme compositional technique, profound emotion, and breath-taking melodies and harmony. Although Brahms references Beethoven’s style, it is clear that he evolved music to the next stage, making it a fitting work to pair with Jan Mikael Vainio’s integration of beatboxing and orchestral music, Fujiko’s Fairy Tale. Vainio says, “Fujiko’s Fairy Tale is a voyage through [Japanese] mythology…in which magical super beings rule the reality. In the music, one can hear oriental influences combined with hip-hop, dance beats, traditional contemporary concert music and a hint of soundscapes from videogames of the 1980’s and 1990’s.” The concerto was premiered in February 2010 in Finland; the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra played the American premiere in July 2010.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Shodekeh will be the featured soloist for Fujiko’s Fairy Tale. He is a professional beatboxer and vocal percussionist in a number of artistic fields for dance, music and the visual arts. Using his voice as his primary instrument, he vocalizes everything from drum sets, turntables, ocean waves, to sleigh bells. He currently serves as faculty and musical accompanist for Towson University’s dance department and The American Dance Festival at Duke University.  Past awards and recognition include a residency with The Johns Hopkins Modern Dance Company, an Artist Studio Residency at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, grants and commissions for the U.S. Embassy of Lithuania’s Month of American Culture Program, and placement on the Maryland State Arts Council Touring Artist Roster Program.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: BRAHMS & BEATBOXING
with Carolyn Kuan, Music Director & conductor; Shodekeh, beatboxer
Thursday, January 5, 2012 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 6, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 7, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 8, 2012 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor; Jan Mikael Vainio: Fujiko’s Fairy Tale for Beatboxer and String Orchestra; Johann Strauss, Jr.: Overture to Die Fledermaus
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, January 7, $25 tickets are available for patrons age 40 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

The Brahms & Beatboxing concerts are sponsored by Artio Global Investors. The 2011-12 Masterworks Series is presented by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Hartford Hospital. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

HARTFORD, December 8, 2011 – As part of the downtown yuletide events this weekend, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet will play a program of holiday favorites at the free ice skating rink at Bushnell Park this Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan will act as emcee for this wintry musical event.

The quintet performance will take place between the HSO’s two Holiday POPS! Spectacular performances (3pm and 8pm) at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday.  Led by HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan, the Holiday POPS! Spectacular will  feature holiday music from around the world.  Audiences will be able to join in the festivities for a Holiday Sing-a-Long and a visit from Santa Claus, along with a performance of “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” by Yale School of Music faculty member Richard Cross.  Other guest performers will include “The Klezmen,” one of Hartford’s most popular Klezmer bands and the 60+ enchanting voices of Connecticut Children’s Chorus, led by Artistic Director (and Simsbury High School choir director) Stuart Younse. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

The HSO 2011-12 POPS! Series is presented by United Technologies Corporation, with additional concert support from Prudential Retirement. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

HSO, Hartford Public Schools, CT Center for Nonviolence and Billings Forge Collaborate for El Sistema-Inspired Music Program in Frog Hollow

HARTFORD, CT- November 28, 2011– The Hartford Symphony Orchestra announces the launch of CityMusic, its brand new after-school music program at the Latino Studies Academy at Burns, a public K-8 school in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford. Created in collaboration with Hartford Public Schools, the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence and Billings Forge Community Works, CityMusic engages students through the transformative power of music, helping them to build a new school culture based on achievement and teamwork and teaching them to become ambassadors of social change in their community.

HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan says, “When I came on as music director of the HSO, I knew that I wanted to start an El Sistema program in Hartford. I have seen what programs like CityMusic have done for children across the US; music gives them a sense of purpose, achievement, and responsibility. I have visited the Latino Studies Academy at Burns several times now and have seen the look on the students’ faces when we play and talk about music with them…this is going to be something special.”

Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto says, “I am thankful to the outstanding partners who work with the Hartford Public Schools to enrich our curriculum so that students grow through rich music and art offerings.”

CityMusic’s core mission is inspired by “El Sistema,” a Venezuelan community music and youth orchestra program that began in the late 1970’s and now teaches music to 300,000 of Venezuela’s poorest children, demonstrating the power of music to dramatically change the life trajectory of hundreds of thousands of a nation’s youth while transforming the communities around them. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is taking the lead in bringing El Sistema’s principles to Hartford and joins several other cities on the East Coast that are in the process of creating or have already implemented similar El Sistema-inspired programs, including the “Take a Stand” program in Boston and “OrchKids” in Baltimore.

In this first year, CityMusic is primarily an after-school music program held four days a week at Burns Academy. The after-school program currently serves 50-75 students and is taught by the HSO’s newly hired teaching artists, who bring expertise in urban and non-traditional music education to CityMusic. Students participate in choir, bucket drum band, “paper” orchestra, and string orchestra, performing Latino, American, and European music- all while acquiring skills in listening, reading, memory, playing/singing, composition, and expression.  It is CityMusic’s ambition to expand the program over the course of 5-10 years to the older students at Burns Academy and eventually throughout the Hartford Public School District, becoming an integral part of Hartford school culture.

To enhance the after-school program, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will bring music into the classroom throughout the school year: the HSO will perform “Symphony in the Schools” concerts at school-wide assemblies; students will attend field trips to the HSO’s Lincoln Financial Discovery Concerts at The Bushnell; third, fourth, and fifth graders will participate in the HSO’s new “Link Up” program, where they will perform in an interactive concert with the HSO at The Bushnell in May; students and families will be given the opportunity to attend certain HSO Masterworks and POPS! Series concerts free of charge; and students will participate in workshops and performances with HSO musicians, HSO guest artists, and local Latino musicians.

“CityMusic is based on the philosophy that musical skill and knowledge is transformative for children and that involved study imparts broader skills like self discipline and confidence”, says HSO President and CEO Andrea Stalf.  “Piloting this program in collaboration with Hartford Public Schools provides a perfect opportunity for us to reach capable children and make an impact on our community.”

An essential supplement to the music curriculum is the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence’s “Peace is Possible” curriculum, which was created to help CityMusic students work together in a peaceful, cooperative musical ensemble and to apply methods of nonviolence to their everyday lives.  The “Peace is Possible” curriculum includes: songs of peace and freedom movements from the USA and Latin America; conversations, drawings, role playing exercises, and songs inspired about peace; craft activities about peace, emotions, conflict, violence, and nonviolence; and study of successful nonviolence campaigns by such Latino leaders as Cesar Chavez, Roberto Clemente, as well as prominent American Civil Rights leaders. Additionally, the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence is providing an overview of the nonviolence training as a professional development workshop for the classroom teachers at Burns Academy. Hartford Performs, an arts education collaborative through Hartford Public Schools, assists in the “Peace is Possible” curriculum by providing arts activities through which students will learn methods of nonviolence.

The final component of CityMusic is a creative nutrition curriculum that teaches students to respect their bodies and as a result grow as artists. Every day after-school CityMusic students will receive healthy, nutritious snacks from The Kitchen at Billings Forge, a farm-to-table catering business, cafe, and job training location for residents of Frog Hollow, to reinforce the importance of physical health and nutrition.

Hartford Public Schools’ “Compass” program, the existing after-school program at Burns Academy, provides transportation, registration, dinner, and administrative support for CityMusic.

Funding for CityMusic is made possible through generous support from the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Hartford Public Schools, as well as its partner organizations, the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence , Billings Forge Community Works, and Hartford Performs. To find out how you can support CityMusic, please contact HSO Associate Director of Development Tracy Wu Fastenburg at (860)246-8742 ext. 302 or at twu@hartfordsymphony.org.

Carolyn Kuan’s Holiday POPS! Debut to Feature Carols, Klezmer, Choirs and More

HARTFORD, November 15, 2011 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will celebrate musical holiday traditions from around the world at this year’s Holiday POPS! Spectacular on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at Mortensen Hall in The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. The program will be performed at a family-friendly 3:00 p.m. matinee as well as an 8:00 p.m. evening performance.

Led by HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan in her Holiday POPS! debut, this heart-warming concert will feature holiday music from around the world including “Riu Riu Chiu” from Spain, “Dormi, Dormi” from Italy, and “Gong Xi Gong Xi” from China, as well as Strauss’ Viennese tradition, the “Radetzky March.” Audiences will be able to join in the festivities for a Holiday Sing-a-Long and a visit from Santa Claus, along with a performance of “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” by Yale School of Music faculty member Richard Cross.  will lead a performance of “The Night Before Christmas.” Other guest performers will include “The Klezmen,” one of Hartford’s most popular Klezmer bands and the 60+ enchanting voices of Connecticut Children’s Chorus, led by Artistic Director (and Simsbury High School choir director) Stuart Younse.

HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan is the 10th Music Director of the HSO and is the first woman to hold that position. Increasingly recognized as one of the most exciting, innovative, and outstanding conductors of her generation, her international appearances have included performances with the Baltimore Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Festival del Sole, Florida Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán, Seattle Symphony and San Francisco Symphony.

The Connecticut Children’s Chorus (CCC) is one of the Hartford region’s most comprehensive youth chorus programs. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Stuart Younse, CCC, a choral ensemble of The Hartt School Community Division, University of Hartford, boasts performance invitations with the region’s best professional ensembles and is the official children’s chorus of the HSO.

Founder Joel Schlank formed the original Klezmen around 1999. Lead singer Tami Cherdack has served as cantor at Kol Haverim of Glastonbury, CT since 1995 and has had a performing and recording career since the age of 16. Recent Connecticut Klezmen performances have included Manchester Bicentennial Bandshell, UConn Nathan Hale Inn, and Elmwood Community Center.

Bass and narrator Richard Cross has appeared with numerous opera companies, including those of San Francisco, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Madrid, Cologne, Hamburg, Budapest, and Washington, as well as with the New York City Opera. Mr. Cross has recorded for London Records, RCA, and Columbia. He is currently on the faculties of the Yale School of Music and the Juilliard School.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO POPS! SERIES: HOLIDAY POPS! SPECTACULAR
with Carolyn Kuan, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, director; The Klezman
Saturday, December 10, 2011 │ 3:00 & 8:00 p.m.
Mortensen Hall │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Holiday Favorites including Sleigh Ride; The Nutcracker, Suite; Hava Nagilah; Riu Riu Chiu, Gong Xi Gong Xi, Radetzky March, and an audience sing-along featuring  Frosty the Snowman, White Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50. Student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org

The HSO 2011-12 POPS! Series is presented by United Technologies Corporation, with additional concert support from Prudential Retirement. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

HSO to Perform with 150+ Voices of Hartford Chorale and Connecticut Children’s Chorus

HARTFORD, November 7, 2011 –Audiences will have “visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads,” when the Hartford Symphony Orchestra teams up with the Hartford Chorale and Connecticut Children’s Chorus for Holiday Masterworks, a concert of classical holiday music on Thursday, December 1- Sunday, December 4, 2011 in the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by guest conductor Richard Coffey, this concert will feature more than 150 voices of the Hartford Chorale, Connecticut Children’s Chorus, and solo vocalists Stephanie Gilbert, Eric Barry, and Eric Downs performing Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Suite, Vaughan Williams’ epic Hodie, and Glinka’s popular Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla.

HSO President and CEO Andrea Stalf says, “For the first time, the HSO will be celebrating the Holidays on both our Masterworks and POPS! series, giving audiences the opportunity to experience the “classical” side of our holiday music. From the enchanting melodies of The Nutcracker to the inspiring voices of the Hartford Chorale and Connecticut Children’s Chorus on Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, these concerts will delight children and adults alike.”

Kicking off this festive program will be Mikhail Glinka’s Overture to his fairy-tale opera, Russlan and Ludmilla. Glinka’s enchanting melodies will set the mood for Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 1 from The Nutcracker, the essential soundtrack of the holiday season. This suite includes such popular songs from the ballet as “Waltz of the Flowers,” the Chinese, Russian, and Arab Dances, and, of course, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” After intermission, The Hartford Chorale, Connecticut Children’s Chorus, and guest soloists will come together for English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, a masterpiece that combines Christmas texts from John Milton, Martin Luther, Thomas Hardy, and the Bible with the holiday music of English carols and traditional German chorales.

Celebrating its 40th year, The Hartford Chorale is the primary symphonic chorus of the Greater Hartford community, particularly in its critically acclaimed collaborations with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Under the musical direction of Richard Coffey since 2005, the ensemble comprises 170 men and women selected by annual competitive audition.

The Connecticut Children’s Chorus (CCC) is one of the Hartford region’s most comprehensive youth chorus programs. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Stuart Younse, CCC, a choral ensemble of The Hartt School Community Division, University of Hartford, boasts performance invitations with the region’s best professional ensembles and is the official children’s chorus of the HSO.

Stephanie Gilbert is an American lyric soprano currently based in Manhattan.  She was recently awarded her masters degree from the Yale School of Music where she studied with Doris Yarick-Cross and coaches Douglas Dickson, Timothy Shaindlin, and Kyle Swann. With Yale Opera, she sang the role of Miriam in Hoiby’s The Scarf, for which she was praised for a sound that “kept getting stronger and more arresting as she sang.”

Eric Barry has set himself apart from other tenors through his signature sound, musical sincerity, and ease of dramatic expression. His performances have earned him international approval – the PBS documentary ‘Young Opera’ declared him to be “the next big thing in the tenor world.” This Spanish-American tenor has been heard throughout the US and Europe – including broadcasts on National Public Radio.

Having already gained substantial experience on both the opera and concert stage, bass-baritone Eric Downs is rising to the forefront of young professional artists with impressive alacrity. Recent engagements included Mustapha in The Italian Girl in Algiers in a return to Boston Midsummer Opera and solo appearances at the Washington National Cathedral and Carnegie Hall.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: HOLIDAY MASTERWORKS
with Richard Coffey, guest conductor; Stephanie Gilbert, soprano; Eric Barry, tenor; Eric Downs, bass-baritone; Hartford Chorale- Richard Coffey, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, artistic director
Thursday, December 1, 2011 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 2, 2011 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 3, 2011 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 2011 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 1 from The Nutcracker, Op. 71; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hodie; Mikhail Glinka: Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, December 3, $25 tickets are available for patrons age 40 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org . (HSO Note: Preferred tickets to HSO Holiday concerts traditionally have sold out before December 1.)

The Holiday Masterworks Concerts are sponsored by Hartford Hospital. The 2011-12 Masterworks Series is presented by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Artio Global Investors. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

The Sunday Serenades concert, “Romantic Inspirations,” which was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 30 but postponed due to weather, has been rescheduled to SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 at 3PM in the Great Hall at the Wadworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Previously purchased tickets will be honored. Please call HSO Ticketing Services at (860) 244-2999 on Monday, October 31 from 10AM-5PM with any other ticketing questions.

“Magna Opera” Masterworks Concerts to Feature Semi- Staged Scenes from La Bohème & La Traviata

HARTFORD, October 28, 2011 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is bringing opera back to downtown Hartford. On Thursday, November 10- Sunday, November 13, 2011 in the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the HSO and eight vocalists from the Yale Opera program (led by Artistic Director Doris Yarick Cross) will team up for the Masterworks Series’ “Magna Opera.” Led by HSO music director Carolyn Kuan, these concerts will feature semi-staged scenes from Puccini’s La Bohème and Verdi’s La Traviata, as well as overtures from Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.

Carolyn Kuan says, “Whether you are curious about the opera experience or are an addicted opera fan, this is the concert for you.  La Bohème and La Traviata are two of the most beloved operas.  Wagner’s Flying Dutchman always reminds me of the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and of course, we have to include Mozart and the most famous “can-can” music.  These concerts will be a unique opportunity to hear the music, experience the drama, and feel the emotion that has made opera an extraordinary art form for centuries.”

The program will open with Wagner’s dynamic Overture to The Flying Dutchman, his stormy opera about a sea captain who makes a deal with the devil. Next, singers from Yale Opera will take the stage for Act IV from Verdi’s La Traviata (The Woman Who Strayed).  This is the final act in Verdi’s poignant tragedy, which centers around the Parisian courtesan Violetta and her lover, Alfredo. Their heartbreaking story coupled with Verdi’s passionate score has made La Traviata one of the most popular and perennially performed of all operas.  After intermission, the HSO will play Mozart’s Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro, whose catchy melodies are constantly reused today in cartoons and television. Following this, the HSO and Yale Opera will present Act III of Puccini’s La Bohème, which follows the tragic love stories of Bohemian poets and artists living in 1830’s Paris through poetic lyrics, soaring duets, and a luscious orchestral score. The concert will conclude with Offenbach’s uproarious and energetic Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, which is best known for its memorable “Can-Can” melody.

This concert will feature the talents of eight vocalists from the world-renowned Yale Opera program at the Yale University School of Music: sopranos Catherine Affleck, Jamilyn Manning-White, and Lisa Williamson; mezzo soprano Kelly Hill; tenors Jorge Prego and Galeano Salas; baritone Cameron McPhail; and bass Aaron Sorensen.

HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan is the 10th Music Director of the HSO and is the first woman to hold that position. Increasingly recognized as one of the most exciting, innovative, and outstanding conductors of her generation, her international appearances have included performances with the Baltimore Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Festival del Sole, Florida Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán, Seattle Symphony and San Francisco Symphony.

The Yale Opera program at the Yale University School of Music, led by Artistic Director Doris Yarick Cross, has been extraordinarily successful in preparing singers for active professional careers. Graduates of the program appear on the rosters of all of the world’s major opera houses, including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Teatro alla Scala (Milan, Italy), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (London, UK), English National Opera (London, UK), Bayerische Staatsoper (Berlin, Germany), and the Vienna Staatsoper (Austria), among many others.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: MAGNA OPERA
with Carolyn Kuan, music director and conductor; Vocalists from the Yale School of Music: Catherine Affleck, soprano; Jamilyn Manning-White, soprano; Lisa Williamson, soprano; Kelly Hill, mezzo soprano; Jorge Prego, tenor; Galeano Salas, tenor; Cameron McPhail, baritone; Aaron Sorensen, bass
Thursday, November 10, 2011 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 11, 2011 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 12, 2011 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 13, 2011 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Giacomo Puccini: Act III from La Bohème; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro); Giuseppe Verdi: Act IV from La Traviata; Richard Wagner: Overture to Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman); Jacques Offenbach: Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, November 12, $25 tickets are available for patrons age 40 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999  or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org

The 2011-12 Masterworks Series is presented by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Artio Global Investors and Hartford Hospital. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

HARTFORD, October 24, 2011 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has appointed Andrea Stalf as President and Chief Executive Officer of the HSO.  She will begin her position on October 24. Stalf will oversee administrative operations and fundraising, and will partner with the artistic leadership of new Music Director Carolyn Kuan.  In January of this year, Carolyn Kuan was appointed as the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 10^th Music Director – and is the first woman to lead the HSO in its nearly 70-year history.  Kuan began her tenure on a full-time basis at the start of the 2011-2012 season this October.

The HSO board began a formal search process for a new President and CEO to replace Kristen Phillips in May of 2011.  Phillips led the HSO in this position for three years and is currently Senior Vice President with Lincoln Financial Group at its Greater Philadelphia headquarters.  From June to October, Carrie Hammond has served as Interim CEO of the HSO, overseeing the orchestra’s 16^th annual Talcott Mountain Music Festival and the September fundraising gala and free community concert featuring Carolyn Kuan’s debut performances as Music Director.

Andrea Stalf is a seasoned executive whose successful 22-year career in corporate marketing and general management includes senior positions with Fortune 100 firms in insurance, telecommunications and consumer products.  Stalf moved to Hartford in 2007 when she accepted the position of Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Personal Lines insurance business of Travelers.   She helped build Travelers as a consumer brand.  Stalf has an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Minnesota.  She earned an MBA in Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.  Stalf and her husband David Lampert live in Avon with their sons Ben and Max. They are life-long music lovers and concertgoers; their sons are serious students of piano, guitar and clarinet.

“The HSO embarked on a bold and visionary process that started with the appointment of world-renowned Carolyn Kuan as our Music Director earlier this year,” said James S. Remis, HSO Chairman of the Board of Directors.  “That process continued with an exhaustive, nationwide executive search for a President and CEO, in which Andrea’s enormous energy, intellect and proven leadership put her clearly at the top.”  Remis adds, “We’re proud to have built this team of incredible talent here in Hartford.  What matters most is that the HSO’s thousands of patrons, supporters and fans are getting a concert experience that is not just amazing, it’s second to none.”

HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan says, “It’s a great time for the HSO and Andrea’s appointment as President and CEO is even more good news.  Thank you to Jim and the Board members who made this possible. Ultimately, the performance is everything and working with Andrea and our remarkably gifted musicians will ensure that each concert at the HSO is something very special.”

Newly appointed HSO President and CEO Andrea Stalf commented, “It’s a thrill and honor to work with Carolyn Kuan; she gives herself entirely to each performance.” Stalf added, “Carolyn is a visionary and right now the HSO is at the vanguard of orchestras with its rich heritage of artistic talent and dedication to community service.  I’m really excited to be a part of it and committed to its continuing success.”

HARTFORD, October 21, 2011 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will begin the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series with a tribute to the classic jazz album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, on Friday, November 4, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at the Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor in Hartford.  Conceived and directed by Jazz and Strings Artistic Director Gene Bozzi, this concert will feature guest vocalist Tina Fabrique as the “First Lady of Song,” performing selections from the album as well as a few of Ella Fitzgerald’s biggest hits.  Bassist Rick Rozie and frequent HSO arranger and pianist Walter Gwardyak, along with Gene Bozzi on drums will team up with members of the HSO string, brass, and wind sections for this program of Ella Fitzgerald favorites, including “Begin the Beguine,” “I Love Paris,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Night and Day,” and more.

Gene Bozzi says, “The first of our three concert series this season is a Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. The performance will feature music from Cole Porter Songbook album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, (Verve 1956). This concert will feature jazz vocalist, Tina Fabrique, who has come to Hartford Stage and Theaterworks before as Ella.  In addition to Tina’s incredible talent, this concert will include the largest string section we have had so far, plus a stellar horn section including alto saxophonist John Mastroianni. Along with the Cole Porter selections, we also will do tunes that Ella frequently performed, including her “scatting” tour de force, Jobim’s “One Note Samba”.

Listen to Gene Bozzi’s introduction to this program and to hear highlights from Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook.

Gene Bozzi’s Ella Introduction

Hartford audiences may recall Tina Fabrique’s acclaimed performance as jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald in Hartford Stage’s production of Ella, a role she created in 2005 at Hartford Theaterworks and has been playing at theaters across the country.  Tina’s illustrious career has included performances with Joe Williams, Carmen McCrea, Abbey Lincoln, Rosemary Clooney, Dakota Staton, Houston Person, Etta Jones, Frank Owens, Phyllis Hyman, George Coleman, and Ron Carter. She was a regular at St. Peter’s in New York City, the Jazz Series at the 92nd Street Y, and The Village Gate, The Village Vanguard, St. Ann’s Jazz Series, and a series of free outdoor jazz concerts at Lincoln Center and Bryant Park. In addition to Ella, Tina’s many theater credits include Broadway productions of Ragtime, Bring In Da Noise/Bring In Da Funk, Truly Blessed, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Gospel at Colonus, and Harlem Song. Additionally, Tina sang the theme songs for the acclaimed documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom and the beloved children’s show, Reading Rainbow.

Gene Bozzi is the HSO Principal Timpanist and Artistic Director of the Jazz and Strings Series. As one of the premiere drummers in Hartford, he has played with such notables as Dave Liebman, Steve Swallow, and Gerry Mulligan, among others.  He has performed Brazilian jazz with the Claudio Roditi Quartet and toured Russia with the Hendrik Muerkins Quartet in 2007. He is a percussion instructor at Wesleyan University and Trinity College, and serves as the Music Department Chair at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

Initiated in March 2009, the HSO Jazz and Strings Series is an ongoing effort led by HSO principal timpanist Gene Bozzi to bring collaborative performances of Jazz and Classical music to downtown Hartford.  Performances to date have included the music of John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker and Stan Getz, and have featured performances by such notable jazz musicians as Sweet Sue Terry, Claudio Roditti, Wayne Escoffery, Giacomo Gates, Kris Allen, Joel Frahm, and Shawnn Monteiro.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO JAZZ AND STRINGS: ELLA FITZGERALD SINGS THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK
with Tina Fabrique, vocalist; Gene Bozzi, Jazz & Strings artistic director, drums; Walter Gwardyak, arranger, piano; Edward Rozie, acoustic bass; HSO String section
Friday, November 4, 2011 │ 8:00 p.m.
Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor│359 Washington Street Hartford, CT│Free, Secure Parking
Program: A tribute to the 1956 album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook
Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series are $54 for orchestra seating, $104 for center orchestra seating. Single tickets to the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series are $20 for orchestra seating, $40 for center orchestra seating. Student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org

The 2011-2012 Sunday Serenades Series also will feature the following programs:
HSO JAZZ AND STRINGS: “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY WITH STRINGS
with Erica von Kleist, saxophone; Gene Bozzi, Jazz & Strings artistic director, drums; Walter Gwardyak, arranger, piano; Edward Rozie, acoustic bass; HSO String section
Friday, March 2, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor│359 Washington Street Hartford, CT│Free, Secure Parking

HSO JAZZ AND STRINGS: JIMMY GREENE WITH STRINGS
with Jimmy Greene, composer and saxophone; Gene Bozzi, Jazz & Strings artistic director, drums; Walter Gwardyak, arranger, piano; Edward Rozie, acoustic bass; HSO String section
Saturday, May 19, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor│359 Washington Street Hartford, CT│Free, Secure Parking

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2011-2012 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.