Hartford Symphony Orchestra

Concert to Feature HSO Principal Cellist Jeffrey Krieger

Program to Close with Dazzling Fireworks Display

SIMSBURY, June 11, 2013 –The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s summer series, the Talcott Mountain Music Festival, will open with Mozart in the Moonlight on Friday, June 28, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows.  Led by guest conductor Steven Lipsitt, this outdoor concert’s program highlights will include Mozart’s “Paris” Symphony, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and Overture to Don Giovanni, plus Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major featuring HSO Principal Cellist Jeffrey Krieger. The concert will culminate with a dazzling fireworks display.

Jeffrey Krieger has been principal cellist of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, chamber musician and soloist since 1979. Krieger has been featured as a soloist with the New York City Ballet, a solo recital of music by Osvaldas Balakauskas sponsored by the American-Lithuanian Society of New York, at the Kennedy Center, and with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. In 2007 and 2008 he served as Cultural Ambassador to India performing concerts of American music sponsored by the US Embassy. Festival performances have included the Boston Cyberarts Festival; International Festival of Electronic Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; International Festival of Arts and Ideas, New Haven; Subtropics Festival, Miami International University; New Directions Cello Festival at the Knitting Factory, New York City; and Ebeltoft Festival, Denmark.

Now in his fourteenth season as Music Director of the Boston Classical Orchestra, Steven Lipsitt has brought this professional chamber orchestra to the front ranks of Boston’s musical life with freshly designed, vividly realized programs of four centuries of music. He has conducted orchestras in Russia, Greece, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Canada, and the U.S.  He has been a guest conductor at Scottish Opera, the Kennedy Center Opera House, Boston Lyric Opera, the Boston Pops, and Boston Ballet, and has served as cover conductor for the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Toronto, and Boston. He has trained young musicians at Tanglewood, New England Conservatory, Boston University, The Hartt School, and the Boston Conservatory Opera Theatre.

The 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival continues through July 26. Led by music director Carolyn Kuan, the HSO will Celebrate America on Wednesday, July 3 in a Patriotic Celebration saluting American heroes. On July 12, Rob Zappulla and his big band will join the HSO for a night of Frank Sinatra’s most swinging hits at Sinatra Under the Stars. Popular Boston Pops guest conductor James Orent will lead the HSO in the Movie Music of John Williams, including soundtrack music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and more. The festival will end July 26 with The Rolling Stones Tribute: 50 Years of Satisfaction.

Calendar Listing:
Hartford Symphony Talcott Mountain Music Festival:
Mozart In The Moonlight
with Steven Lipsitt, guest conductor; Jeffrey Krieger, HSO Principal Cello
Friday, June 28, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows │Fireworks to Follow
Program: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 31 in D Major, “Paris;” Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; Overture to Don Giovanni; Frans Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival range in price from $100-$1420; single tickets range in price from $20-$45; and lawn tickets for kids 12 and under are $5. Discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance. For more ticketing information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Additional Information: Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. Open to all ticket holders, the HSO Education Tent is open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.; families can enjoy free activities such as music-themed games and crafts, the “Instrument Zoo,” and youth performances.  In the case of severe weather, this concert will be performed the following night (June 29) at the same time.

The 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is presented by Hartford Hospital. The 2013 Festival Sponsor is The Richard P. Garmany Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Sinatra Under the Stars is sponsored by Classic Hotels of Connecticut. The 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival receives Festival Patron support from Falcetti Music, Paine’s, Inc, Seabury, The Hartford, and UBS Realty Investors; Festival Benefactor support from Chubb, Cigna, Ensign Bickford Industries, HB Group, Show Lighting, Simscroft Echo, Travelers, and Viking Fuel Oil; and Festival Friend support from 2fly wines, Bank of America, Big Y, CL&P, Dornenburg – Kallenbach Advertising, Ethel Walker School, Federman, Lally, and Remis, Fitzgerald Foods, JP Morgan Chase, Metro Bis, Motley Rice, Murphy, Laudati, Kiel, Buttler &Rattigan LLC, Robert Hensley and Associates, Simsbury Bank, The Aegis Group, Tom and Suzy Reich, and United Healthcare. The Education Tent Sponsor is sponsored by Westminster School. Fireworks are sponsored by the Town of Simsbury. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

Performances to Mark 100th Anniversary of Controversial Premiere

HSO to be joined by dancers from The Hartt School & Nutmeg Conservatory; Wadsworth Atheneum to Display Original Costumes May 29-June 23

HARTFORD, May 22, 2013 –Led by HSO music director Carolyn Kuan, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will close the 2012-2013 Season performing Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring 100 years after its explosively controversial premiere at Unexpected Sounds on Thursday, May 30 – Sunday, June 2, 2013 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Scandal and controversy surrounded the short-lived premiere production of the Rite of Spring. The story, set in ancient Russia, involves the sacrifice of a young girl who dances herself to death to ensure the return of spring. At its premiere in Paris on May 29, 1913, Stravinsky’s extraordinary, complex, and strikingly modern music combined with Vaslav Nijinsky’s unorthodox choreography, with toes turned in instead of out and arms and heads oddly bent, caused the audience to erupt in fury. Shouts, catcalls, whistles, even fisticuffs grew so menacing that often the orchestra could not be heard. The producer flashed the house lights on and off in a vain attempt to restore order; Nijinsky, when he was not on stage, pounded wildly on the scenery with his fists to keep the dancers together. No one could deny, however, the ferocious, overwhelming power of the music, and audiences could not help but be swept away by its awesome and wonderful maelstrom of exquisitely executed sound.

The HSO will honor this groundbreaking premiere 100 years later with four full performances of Rite of Spring, featuring more than 100 musicians onstage and a soloist from The Hartt School dancing the female sacrifice. As with the premiere in 1913, the first half of the program will feature excerpts from a traditional ballet, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake¸ and will include performances by dancers from The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts.

The performances will open with Huang Ruo’s Concerto for Sheng, a Chinese mouth organ, as performed by international Sheng virtuoso Wu Wei. This concerto, as Rite of Spring did 100 years ago, highlights the unusual and unexpected sounds an orchestra can generate, and features unusual instruments- including conch shells!

The sets and costumes from the original production were designed and created by the mystical painter and professional ethnographer Nikolai Roerich. Three of the original costumes and a sketch by Roerich will be on display at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford starting from May 29-June 23. Patrons who visit the museum from May 29-June 2 may present their admission receipt in person at HSO Ticket Services on May 29- 31 or at The Bushnell Box Office from May 29-June 2 to receive $5 off an adult ticket (does not apply to previously purchased tickets). Additionally, HSO audiences will be able to present their Rite of Spring performance ticket stub at the Wadsworth Atheneum from May 31-June 23 to receive $5 off an adult ticket for museum admission. For more information about the Wadsworth Atheneum, please visit www.thewadsworth.org.

Sheng soloist Wu Wei, born 1970 in China, is a Distinguished Professor of the Shanghai Music Conservatory. In addition to many prestigious national and international competitions for traditional Chinese music, he won the “Musica Vitale Competition Germany” in 1996 and 2002, and the “Global Root” German world music prize in 2004. In 2011, he won the Herald Angels Award by Edinburgh International Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with many leading orchestras and ensembles, including the Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst many others.

Calendar Listing:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES:
UNEXPECTED SOUNDS: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
Featuring Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Wu Wei, sheng; Dancers from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and The Hartt School Dance Division
Thursday, May 30, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 31, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 1, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 2, 2013 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring); Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Selections from Swan Lake; Huang Ruo: “The Color Yellow” Concerto for Sheng and Chamber Orchestra
Ticket Information: Tickets to this concert range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, June 1, $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.

Please Note: On Sunday, June 2, the 4th Annual Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade will attract nearly 50,000 people, beginning with a parade at noon and culminating with a festival in Bushnell Park, scheduled to run until 8:00pm. Due to these celebrations, road closures and increased traffic are expected. Please build in at least an extra hour to your traveling time if you plan to attend the Sunday performance. 

Unexpected Sounds: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring is made possible with support from Concert Benefactor Bank of America. A special thank you to The Saunders Fund for their support of innovative programming. The 2012-2013 Masterworks Series is sponsored by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Cigna, Cly-Del Manufacturing Company, Hartford Hospital, and the Katharine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Program Also to Feature HSO’s Premiere Performance of Vaughan Williams’ Sixth Symphony

HARTFORD, April 22, 2013 –Led by HSO music director Carolyn Kuan, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will explore the jazzier side of classical music at Rhapsody in Blue on Thursday, May 9 – Sunday, May 12, 2013 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. The concert will feature the dynamic, young Anderson and Roe Piano Duo, with Elizabeth Joy Roe performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Greg Anderson performing Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” Variations for Piano and Orchestra.

The program will open with the HSO’s first-ever performance of Vaughan Williams’ Sixth Symphony, a poignant work which, according to some music historians, expresses the emotions of a post-World War II England. After intermission, the program will feature two of Gershwin’s works for solo piano and orchestra- Rhapsody in Blue and “I Got Rhthym.” Following this, Anderson & Roe will team up for a series of four hand, two piano encores including “Ragtime alla Turca,” Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” the “Sacrificial Dance” from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and Piazzolla’s Libertango.

Known for their adrenalized performances, original compositions, and notorious music videos, Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe are revolutionizing the piano duo experience for the 21st century. Described as “Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers transposed from the dance floor to the keyboard” (Southampton Press) and “the intense synchronization of genius” (ThirdCoast Digest), Anderson & Roe aim to make classical music a relevant and powerful force around the world. Their most recent album, When Words Fade (Steinway Label), was released to critical acclaim in 2012 and spent nearly a dozen weeks at the top of the Billboard Classical Charts, while their wildly creative, self-produced music videos have been viewed by millions on YouTube. Highlights of the 2012-13 season include tours in China, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, and their orchestral debuts with the Hartford, Lafayette, and Santa Fe symphony orchestras.

Mr. Anderson and Ms. Roe met in 2000 as freshmen at The Juilliard School and formed their dynamic musical partnership shortly thereafter. They have since toured extensively, with notable recitals in Vancouver, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, Italy, and most major US cities, as well as in nearly every New York City venue imaginable, from Carnegie Hall to children’s hospitals. Together they have appeared on MTV’s Total Request Live, NPR’s All Things Considered and From the Top, APM’s Performance Today, the Cliburn Concert Series, the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, and dozens of summer chamber  music festivals.

Calendar Listing:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: RHAPSORY IN BLUE
Featuring Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Anderson & Roe Piano Duo – Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe
Thursday, May 9, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 10, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 11, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 12, 2013 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue and “I Got Rhythm” Variations for Piano and Orchestra; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 in E minor; plus four hand piano encores including “Ragtime alla Turca,” Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” the “Sacrificial Dance” from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and Piazzolla’s Libertango.
Ticket Information: Tickets to this concert range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, May 11, $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 .

Rhapsody in Blue is made possible with support from Concert Benefactors Hartford Hospital and The Cly-Del Manufacturing Company. The 2012-2013 Masterworks Series is sponsored by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Bank of America, Cigna, and the Katharine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Walter W. Naumburg International Competition Winner, Cellist Clancy Newman, to Perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto

HARTFORD, April 8, 2013 –The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will take a musical voyage to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the magnificent ruins of Rome at Roman Holiday on Thursday, April 18 – Sunday, April 21, 2013 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by the internationally revered guest conductor Rossen Milanov, this program will feature Felix Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, which was inspired by a trip through the country, and iconic Italian composer Gioachino Rossini’s overture to his opera, Semiramide. The concert also will include cellist Clancy Newman’s debut performance with the HSO, playing Edward Elgar’s emotional Concerto for Violoncello, which Elgar said mirrors “a man’s attitude to life.”

Making his debut performance with the HSO, Rossen Milanov is the newly appointed Principal Conductor of Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias in Spain. He also serves as the Music Director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra as well as the nationally recognized training orchestra — Symphony in C. Internationally, he has collaborated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra London, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Geneva, Komische Oper Berlin, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Residentie Orkest of the Hague, Luzern Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony, National Symphony of Latvia, Orquesta Nacional de México, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Colombia, Orquesta Simfonica del Estado de Sao Paulo, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. On his regular tours to the Far East, he has appeared with the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, China Philharmonic, Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, and Singapore Symphony.

In 2001, cellist Clancy Newman won the coveted first prize of the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg International Competition and was presented in recital at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, a performance that garnered enormous critical acclaim. Named the recipient of the 2004 Avery Fisher Career Grant, he was featured on A & E’s “Breakfast with the Arts.” As a concerto soloist, he has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, the Bloomington Camerata, and ProMusica, among many others. He has appeared in recital from coast to coast, including engagements at Lincoln Center and Strathmore Hall.  This will be his premiere performance with the HSO.

Calendar Listing:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: ROMAN HOLIDAY
Featuring Rossen Milanov, guest conductor; Clancy Newman, cello
Thursday, April 18, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 20, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 21, 2013 │ 3:30 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, “Italian;” Edward Elgar: Concerto for Violoncello; Gioachino Rossini: Overture to Semiramide
Ticket Information: Tickets to this concert range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, April 20, $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 <http://www.hartfordsymphony.org> .

The 2012-2013 Masterworks Series is sponsored by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Bank of America, Cigna, The Cly-Del Manufacturing Company, Hartford Hospital, the Katharine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

MASTERWORKS SERIES: RHAPSODY IN BLUE
with Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Anderson & Roe Piano Duo – Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe
Thursday, May 9, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 10, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 11, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 12, 2013 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The dazzling Anderson & Roe Piano Duo joins the HSO in a Gershwin revue that also features the duo’s original arrangement of Piazzolla’s Libertango and other four-hand piano encores. Plus, you’ll hear the HSO premiere of Vaughan Williams’ jazzy and thought-provoking Sixth Symphony.

POPS SERIES: PLAYING WITH FOOD!
with Carolyn Kuan, conductor; chefs and special guests from Salute, Max Downtown, Firebox, Peppercorns, and the Pond House and Pond House Grille
Saturday, May 18, 2013│ 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall│ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
If spaghetti were a symphony, what would that sound like? Is Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony a comforting tomato soup or a juicy hamburger? What does the William Tell Overture taste like? You’ll find out when great music and fantastic cuisine come together in this special event. Join Carolyn Kuan and Hartford’s great chefs to learn more about your favorite food, the secrets behind their unique dishes, cooking tips and, of course, the exciting music that inspired them. Watch the whisks and the baton fly!

MASTERWORKS SERIES: UNEXPECTED SOUNDS: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
with Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Wu Wei, sheng; Dancers from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and The Hartt School
Thursday, May 30, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 31, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 1, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 2, 2013 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
From bright imaginations sprang vivid new colors. Hear The Rite of Spring performed on the 100th anniversary of its debut with dancers from The Hartt School. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake transformed the role of music in the ballet from a grand decorative gesture into an essential component of the drama on stage; this performance will feature dancers from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. Contemporary composer Huang Ruo created a new concerto for sheng, an ancient Chinese mouth organ known for its exotic sound.

2013 TALCOTT MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL:
All concerts listed below to be performed at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury, CT.

MOZART IN THE MOONLIGHT
Steven Lipsitt, conductor; Jeffrey Krieger, HSO principal cello
Friday, June 28, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
(Rain Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013, 7:30 p.m.)
Fireworks after the concert
Program: Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni, Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1, Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Mozart: Symphony No. 31

CELEBRATE AMERICA – The Annual Red, White & Blue Tradition
Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Asylum Hill Congregational Church Choir
Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
(Rain Date: Friday, July 5, 7:30 p.m.)
Fireworks after the concert
Program: Patriotic music including Stars and Stripes Forever, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, an Armed Forces Salute, and a tribute to American leaders past and present featuring guest narrators and speakers.

SINATRA UNDER THE STARS
Featuring guest vocalist/trumpeter Rob Zappulla and his Big Band
Friday, July 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
(Rain Date: Saturday, July 13, 7:30 p.m.)
Program: Selections to include: Come Fly with Me; I Get  A Kick Out of You; Day by Day; I’ve Got You Under My Skin; Summer Wind and more.

THE MOVIE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS – Star Wars, E.T. & More
James Orent, conductor
Friday, July 19, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
(Rain Date: Saturday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.)
Program: John Williams’ favorite movie soundtracks, including music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Hook, E.T., Indiana Jones, and more.

THE ROLLING STONES TRIBUTE – 50 Years of Satisfaction
Windborne Music featuring Brent Havens, guest artists
Friday, July 26, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
(Rain Date: Saturday, July 27, 7:30 p.m.)
Program: A celebration of the Rolling Stones biggest hits, including Satisfaction; You Can’t Always Get What You Want; Ruby Tuesday, Honky Tonk Women, and more.

Concert to Feature Performances by HSO Musicians: Leonid Sigal, Lisa Rautenberg, Michael Wheeler, Eric Dahlin and Margreet Francis

HARTFORD, March 28, 2013 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will present Baroque and Beyond, the final concert of the 2012-2013 Sunday Serenades Chamber Music Series, on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.  This program is inspired by the exhibition, Burst of Light: Caravaggio and His Legacy and will feature performances of works by Stravinsky, Respighi, Puccini, Dallapiccola, and Valentini by Sunday Serenades Artistic Director and HSO Concertmaster (principal violinist) Leonid Sigal,  HSO Associate Concertmaster Lisa Rautenberg, HSO Principal Violist Michael Wheeler, HSO Assistant Principal Cellist Eric Dahlin and HSO Principal Keyboardist Margreet Francis.

Experience the Baroque era and its influence in both art and music. The exhibition, Burst of Light: Caravaggio and His Legacy, on view now through June 16, is devoted to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) and the impact of his revolutionary style on art in Italy and throughout Europe. Caravaggio’s paintings combined a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a genuine spirituality and theatrical use of space and light. They attracted a large artistic following during the first third of the seventeenth century. The exhibition brings together works from all periods of Caravaggio’s career, and also thirty paintings by twenty-one artists whose work was indelibly marked by his innovative style. Burst of Light presents paintings from major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the National Gallery of London. Inspired by this exhibition, Sunday Serenades Artistic Director Leonid Sigal has created an intimate chamber music program featuring Giuseppe Valentini’s Sette Idee per Camera, Sonata No.2 in G Major; Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne; Luigi Dallapiccola’s Tartiniana Seconda, Giacomo Puccini’s Crisantemi, and Ottorino Respighi’s Piano Quintet.

HSO Concertmaster and Sunday Serenades Artistic Director Leonid Sigal has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader.  Born in Moscow, Russia, he began violin studies at age five. He moved to the US in 1995 when he was awarded a prestigious fellowship with the New World Symphony. A devoted chamber musician, Mr. Sigal frequently appears with the Miami Friends of Chamber Music and the Avery Ensemble, and has served as Artistic Director of the Miami Chamber Symphony.

In addition to her role as Fanfare Consort Leader,  HSO Associate Concertmaster Lisa Rautenberg performs as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist.  She gave her New York City solo concerto debut with Concert Royale at the Mostly Mozart festival in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. She performed her New York City recital debut in Merkin Hall playing virtuoso masters for the baroque violin. The recital included the first modern-day performances on original instruments of works by Paganini.  Ms. Rautenberg can be heard on over 100 recordings on labels such as SONY Classical, Virgin Classics, Newport Classics, MCA, Decca, Nonesuch, Telarc, Champignon International and Deutsche Grammophone,

Michael Wheeler, currently the HSO Principal Viola, has performed with the New World Symphony, Portland Symphony, Boston Classical Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and  San Antonio Symphony. Mr. Wheeler has been a recitalist and chamber music player throughout New England performing with the Island Chamber Players and Karas String Quartet. He is on faculty at The Hartt School Community Division and lives in West Hartford with his wife, pianist, Ruriko Kagiyama, and their three daughters.

Eric Dahlin, assistant principal cellist of the HSO, has performed extensively in the US and Europe.
Locally, he can be heard playing with Hop River Chamber Players, Wall Street Chamber Players, and  Island Chamber Players. He performs frequently on the Trinity College Summer Series and Sundays at the Parlor on Park with pianist Gary Chapman. Eric spent five summers at the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival in Vermont. Mr. Dahlin lives in Tariffville with his girlfriend, Katie (also a cellist), two sons, Martin and Elias, and dog, Max.

Margreet Francis is a member of the Hartford Symphony where she plays piano, harpsichord, and celesta.  Her performances have been recorded for the Centaur label and regularly broadcast over radio and T.V. Ms. Francis performs on a regular basis with members of the Miami String Quartet and the Hartford Symphony. She also spent several years playing piano with the New World Chamber Ensemble, Chamber Music Plus, the Soni Fidelis Woodwind Quintet and Trio ARIOSO.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO SUNDAY SERENADES SERIES: BAROQUE AND BEYOND
with Leonid Sigal, artistic director and violin; Lisa Rautenberg, HSO associate concertmaster; Michael Wheeler, viola; Eric Dahlin, HSO principal cello; Margreet Francis, HSO principal keyboard
Sunday, April 7, 2013 │ 2:00 p.m.│ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Program: Giuseppe Valentini (Arr. Respighi): Sette Idee per Camera, Sonata No.2 in G Major; Igor Stravinsky: Suite Italienne; Giacomo Puccini: Crisantemi; Luigi Dallapiccola: Tartiniana Seconda; Ottorino Respighi: Piano Quintet
Ticket Information: Tickets are $30 ($25 for HSO Subscribers and Atheneum Members). Ticket price includes general admission to the Wadsworth Atheneum on the days of the concerts. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org

The HSO 2012-2013 Sunday Serenades Series is sponsored in part by the Saunders Charitable Foundation Music Endowment at the Wadsworth Atheneum. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is located at 600 Main St. in Hartford, Connecticut.  The Museum is open Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Please visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org for more information.

Music Director Carolyn Kuan Extends Contract Through the 2015-2016 Season

HARTFORD, March 19, 2013 – Hartford Symphony Orchestra Music Director Carolyn Kuan and President & CEO Carrie Hammond are pleased to announce the programming for the HSO’s 70th Anniversary Season, including the  2013-2014 Masterworks Series and the 2013-2014 Pops Series that will be presented at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT.

HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan says, “The 70th Anniversary Season of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is an opportunity to celebrate our proud past and demonstrate our enduring passion for playing music that unites and inspires this great community, today and for generations to come.” Carolyn Kuan’s contract with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra has been extended through to May 31, 2016, two years beyond her initial contract’s end date. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra named Carolyn Kuan as its tenth music director in January 2011; she is the first woman and youngest person to hold this title.

70th Season Highlights

Opening Night 70th Anniversary Celebration October 11, 2013:
The HSO is rolling out the red carpet for Opening Night!  Two of the most famous works in the organ repertoire, Saint-Saëns’ massive Symphony No. 3 and Bach’s glorious Toccata and Fugue, will be played on The Bushnell’s historic, Hartford-made Austin pipe organ.  Matched with the delicacy of the pipa – a Chinese lute – played by virtuoso Wu Man, recently named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year. The concert will also feature a side by side performance with the Connecticut Youth Symphony.

HSO and Hartford Stage to Collaborate on A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Stage Company will join during their respective 70th and 50th anniversary seasons to present a new concert staging of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, combining a theatrical performance of Shakespeare’s timeless story with Mendelssohn’s incidental music. Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan will combine their artistic visions for this once-in-a-lifetime collaboration.

Pops Series to Open with Disney’s Fantasia; Holiday Cirque Spectacular Back by Popular Demand:
This season’s Pops concerts each have something to delight music lovers of all ages. From the movie masterpiece Disney’s Fantasia, to music inspired by delectable food to holiday favorites accompanied by high-flying Cirque acrobats, and music from some of the most popular composers of the last 40 years, from Stephen Sondheim to Billy Joel to Les Misérables.

Season to Feature Guest Appearances from former Music Directors Michael Lankester and Edward Cumming:
Former HSO music directors Michael Lankester and Edward Cumming return to the podium in celebration of the HSO’s legacy in this community. Each maestro imprinted his unique style and propelled the orchestra to artistic excellence, as the audience will experience this season.

2013-2014 Guest Artist Highlights to Include:
Michael Cavanaugh, vocals and piano; Cirque de la Symphonie; Connecticut Youth Symphony; David Finckel, cello (Emerson String Quartet); The Hartford Chorale; Sirena Huang, violin; Wu Man, pipa; Greig Shearer, HSO Principal flute; Leonid Sigal, HSO Concertmaster; Joel Smirnoff, guest conductor; Tim Stella, guest conductor; The University of Connecticut Drumline; Mariangela Vacatello, piano; Peter Winograd, violin (son of former HSO music director Arthur Winograd)

2013 – 2014 Masterworks Series

70TH ANNIVERSARY OPENING NIGHT!
October 11 & 12, 2013
Friday & Saturday, 8pm
Mortensen Hall
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Wu Man pipa
Edward Clark organ
Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor with Connecticut Youth Symphony, Daniel D’Addio, music director
Harrison Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra
We’re rolling out the red carpet for Opening Night!  Two of the most famous works in the organ repertoire, Saint-Saëns’ massive Symphony No. 3 and Bach’s glorious Toccata and Fugue, will be played on The Bushnell’s historic, Hartford-made Austin pipe organ.  Matched with the delicacy of the pipa – a Chinese lute – played by virtuoso Wu Man, recently named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year. Concert Benefactor: Hartford Hospital

BEETHOVEN & BERNSTEIN
November 7 – 10, 2013
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Peter Winograd violin
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Piazzolla Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Bernstein Fancy Free
Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is paired with Piazzolla’s tango-inspired Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, featuring violinist Peter Winograd, son of HSO’s esteemed former music director Arthur Winograd.  Plus, hear the ballet score Fancy Free – the first work in the HSO’s season-long tribute to composer Leonard Bernstein.

GREENSLEEVES & SIRENA
December 12 – 15, 2013
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Joel Smirnoff guest conductor
Sirena Huang violin
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
Sibelius Concerto for Violin in D minor
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3, “Polish”
Connecticut’s own violin sensation Sirena Huang returns with guest conductor Joel Smirnoff.  This festive program includes Vaughan Williams’ gorgeous setting of Greensleeves and Sibelius’ virtuosic Violin Concerto. The Koski Memorial Concert.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
January 9 – 12, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Darko Tresnjak stage director
Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Stage Company will join during our respective 70th and 50th anniversary seasons to present a new concert staging of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, combining a theatrical performance of Shakespeare’s timeless story with Mendelssohn’s incidental music. Concert Sponsor: Legrand.

WEST SIDE STORY
February 13 – 16, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Mariangela Vacatello piano
R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
This romantic Valentine features several moving love stories told through music, including Richard Strauss’ comic opera, Rachmaninoff’s balletic interpretation, and Bernstein’s theatrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet.  The Tina Mahar McNally and Alexander Campbell McNally Memorial Concert.  Guest artist sponsored by Ron and Nancy Compton.

MICHAEL LANKESTER CONDUCTS ENIGMA VARIATIONS
March 20 – 23, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Michael Lankester guest conductor, HSO music director from 1985-2000
Elgar Enigma Variations
Bruckner Symphony No. 3
Michael Lankester makes a triumphant return to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra to lead two pieces of expressive personality.  Lankester’s fellow Englishman Edward Elgar dedicated his Enigma Variations to “my friends pictured within” – and made each variation an affectionate portrayal.  This is followed by Bruckner’s grand, dramatic, and brassy Third Symphony.

MOZART’S REQUIEM
April 10 – 13, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Patricia Schuman soprano
Tamara Mumford mezzo-soprano
Andrew Stenson tenor
Tyler Simpson bass-baritone
The Hartford Chorale, Richard Coffey music director
Bernstein Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”
Mozart Requiem, K. 626
Hear music inspired by faith in its full glory!  The HSO is joined by the Hartford Chorale and soloists to perform Bernstein’s setting of the moving biblical story of the prophet Jeremiah, along with Mozart’s final work, a Requiem Mass known for its melodic beauty and fiery evocations of the composer’s own mortality.

EDWARD CUMMING CONDUCTS BRAHMS’ DOUBLE CONCERTO
May 8 – 11, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Edward Cumming guest conductor, HSO music director from 2001-2011
Leonid Sigal violin
David Finckel cello
Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No. 2
Brahms Concerto for Violin and Violoncello, “Double Concerto”
Dvořák Symphony No. 6
Edward Cumming conducts music that defined his signature style.  Slavonic Dances, commissioned for piano four hands, catapulted Dvořák to fame – while Symphony No. 6 showcased his experimental technique. Brahms combined violin and cello for the solo portions of his final orchestral work to create a “super” instrument of sonority and range.

BOLERO!
June 5 – 8, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Greig Shearer HSO Principal flute
Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien
Mozart Concerto for Flute No. 1 in G Major, K. 313
Bates Alternative Energy for Orchestra and Electronica
Ravel Bolero with The University of Connecticut Drumline, David Mills, director
The 70th season finale is a not-to-be missed, blockbuster celebration!  Join the HSO as we perform musical selections both new and timeless, grand and intimate to highlight the versatility and power of the HSO’s musicians to unite our community through live performance.  Concert Sponsor: The Saunders Fund for Innovative Programming.

Masterworks Series Sponsors: MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation

2013 – 2014 POPS! Series

DISNEY’S FANTASIA – Live In Concert
Saturday, October 26, 2013, 7:30pm
Mortensen Hall
Join us for a thrilling performance of Disney’s groundbreaking marriage of symphonic music and animation, Fantasia. Magnificent repertoire from the original 1940 version and Fantasia 2000, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and The Nutcracker Suite, will be performed by the HSO while Disney’s stunning footage is shown on the big screen. Experience iconic moments and childhood favorites as you never have before! Presentation licensed by Disney Concert Library © Disney.

SYMPHONIC SONDHEIM – A Tribute to the Composer’s Classics
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Mortensen Hall
Tim Stella conductor
Experience the splendor of the HSO and singers performing the music of Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, Academy Award, and Grammy Award–winning composer Stephen Sondheim. This legendary composer’s greatest melodies include works such as Follies, A Little Night Music, Company, Into the Woods, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sunday in the Park with George, and Sweeney Todd. Premier concert sponsor: Richard P. Garmany Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

HOLIDAY CIRQUE SPECTACULAR – A New Show!
Saturday, December 21, 2013, 3pm and 7:30pm
Mortensen Hall
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie guest artists
Bring the entire family to hear seasonal favorites while experiencing an awe-inspiring performance as the circus meets the symphony in a new Holiday Cirque Spectacular!  Stunning aerial feats, strong-men, mind-boggling contortionists and juggling acts will take your breath away as HSO gets you into the magic and the spirit of the season with the ultimate holiday extravaganza! Concert Benefactor: Hartford Hospital

THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL & MORE – Michael Cavanaugh in Concert
Saturday, March 8, 2014, 7:30pm
Mortensen Hall
Michael Cavanaugh guest artist
Hand-picked by Billy Joel for the show’s starring role in the hit Broadway musical, Movin’ Out, Michael Cavanaugh won the hearts of audiences and critics night after night. His accolades included both Tony and Grammy award nominations. Catch this rising star performing the hits of the “Piano Man,” plus rock ‘n’ roll classics from the 1950s through the current day, such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, The Who and Elton John.

PLAYING WITH FOOD – SECOND COURSE!
An HSO Musical Menu featuring more of Hartford’s Great Restaurants
Saturday, April 26, 2014, 7:30pm
Mortensen Hall
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Playing With Food is back by popular demand to explore more of how food and music go together…like peanut butter and jelly…or maybe caviar and champagne, if that’s your taste.  Hartford is foodie heaven!  Join Carolyn Kuan and the musicians along with some of the best culinary artists around to learn the secrets behind their unique dishes, cooking tips and, of course, the exciting music that inspires them.

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING? – The Music of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon & More
Saturday, May 31, 2014 7:30pm
Mortensen Hall
with The Hartford Chorale, Richard Coffey, music director
Do You Hear the People Sing celebrates music of two of the world’s most prolific writers of musical theatre, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, in an epic Broadway-style event. This ultimate concert experience features music from Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre, The Pirate Queen, and many more.

POPS! Series Presenting Sponsor: United Technologies

Hartford Symphony Orchestra 2013-2014 Season Sponsor: Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

HSO programs are funded in part by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 Masterworks and Pops Series are available by calling HSO Ticket Services at (860)244-2999.  More information about subscribing is available at www.hartfordsymphony.org.  Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in August 2013.

All artists, dates, and locations are subject to change.

HSO Pops Concert to Recount the History of Baseball through Music, Pictures, and Video

HARTFORD, March 14, 2013 – Just in time for MLB Opening Day, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will perform Take Me Out to the Ball Game on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by guest conductor Robert Thompson, this baseball musical match-up will recount the history of America’s national pastime through more than 2,000 archival photos and videos from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and music including “Slide, Kelly, Slide” and “Let’s Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn” with vocal soloists Misty Castleberry and Forrest Mankowski;  music from The Natural and Field of Dreams; a baseball sing-along; a special performance of “Casey at the Bat” featuring celebrity narrator and former ESPN anchor J.W. Stewart, and more.

Baseball and music have been indelibly intertwined since the sport’s inception. Nearly one hundred songs were written about baseball between 1858 and 1900 alone, and the major collections of baseball music in the USA contain nearly one thousand works written about the sport, commencing with the first known piece of baseball music, J.R. Blodgett’s “The Baseball Polka”, composed in 1858. At this World Series symphonic event, the HSO, led by Baseball fanatic and Grammy nominated musician Robert Thompson, will tell the story of baseball in the United States through music, from the first game to today.

To add to the fun, the New Britain Rock Cats mascot, Rocky, will greet audience members and the Rock Cats also will bring their speed pitch and other games for concert-goers to play in the lobby.

Music Director and producer Robert Thompson grew up in Hawthorne, New York, the resting place of Babe Ruth. Robert’s claim to fame is that he played trumpet at George Steinbrenner’s daughter’s wedding, for which George gave him two crisp one-hundred-dollar bills which Robert in turn blew on Yankees tickets. Robert is a two-time Grammy-nominated producer and musician, having toured and performed with an array of artists and groups, including the Moody Blues, Yes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and many others.  Thompson has conducted the Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, San Diego, Houston and Phoenix Symphonies among others. Robert has served as a Dean of music at SUNY Purchase College, received the University of South Florida’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and holds a doctorate in music from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.

J.W. Stewart worked as an ESPN anchor from 2000-2012. During his time at “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” J.W. demonstrated his versatility by hosting a variety of shows — SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, NBA Fastbreak, College Gameday Scoreboard, College Basketball Final and ESPNEWS.

Calendar Listing:
POPS SERIES: TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
with Robert Thompson, guest conductor; J.W. Stewart, narrator; Misty Castleberry and Forrest Mankowski, vocalists
Saturday, April 6, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50.  Student tickets are $10 and $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 HSO 2012-2013 Pops Series is presented by United Technologies Corporation, with additional concert support from Hartford Hospital and Prudential Retirement. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 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 Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

By MARYELLEN FILLO, The Hartford Courant
March 1, 2013

Some of Hartford’s most well-known chefs have been “playing” with their food recently, and the results are music-inspired dishes that will be taking center stage, both on their tables and at The Bushnell for the next several weeks.

The special menu items are part of a project with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra that begins March 1, melding the creativity and inspiration that music and food share.

Beginning March 1, diners who order the music-inspired menu items at participating restaurants can purchase buy one/get one free ticket packages to the HSO’s “Playing With Food!” concert on May 18. The new event is being billed as “a musical menu” featuring the paired compositions that inspired the cooks in the kitchen and the food that inspired the musicians in the orchestra.

HSO conductor Carolyn Kuan, a self-proclaimed fan of TV’s “Top Chef” cooking show, came up with the idea several months ago after watching the featured television reality show’s surprise “inspirational” challenges.

“I wondered what a chef would create if handed a piece of music for inspiration,” she said, and thus the idea was born. She found several interested restaurants and provided each chef with a piece of music to inspire a new dish. In the interest of fair play, she also found music to match a standing menu item at the restaurants.

The results? Menu items from six restaurants in Hartford and Glastonbury and music that share tempo, texture, timbre and good taste.

Need an amuse bouche?

Firebox executive chef Sean Farrell was handed Dave Brubeck’s piano classic, “Take Five”, and after listening to it carefully, knew the dish had to be hip, unexpected and just plain cool. The result? Stonington Seas Scallops with duck prosciutto wrapped asparagus, English pea-mint coulis and pickled radishes.

Over at the Pond House and sister-eatery, Pond House Grille in Glastonbury, Chef Jordan Stein’s homework was to listen to Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” a piece from “Peer Gynt.” The music begins with cellos and double basses and then adds other instruments as the it gradually speeds up to a loud and frenetic pace.

Stein’s interpretation? Lobster and sherry Johnny cakes with habanero ham.

“There are so many parallels when it comes to composers and chefs,” said Kuan who spent several weeks listening and eating to put the project together. “Chefs and musicians use the same words, “savory,” “sweet,” “lush” as they describe their craft. It’s not a surprise that both integrate so well.”

Kuan, who is a regular downtown diner, had a new accessory with her as she worked with chefs — a laptop full of music.

While she handed out music for the new dishes, she was also tasting menu standards and wracking her musical brain to pair each with the appropriate tune.

On her visit to Salute on Trumbull Street, where executive chef Dave Caudill developed peppercorn crusted shrimp with brandy cream to go with his assigned “Rossini’s Overture to William Tell,” Kuan sampled the restaurant’s popular long-standing menu choice, rose pasta, and got to work.

“It’s comforting, it’s smooth, it’s sweet,” she said as she rolled the cream sauce covered pasta over and over in her mouth. After her sampling, she moved to her laptop where she found the song she wanted, Henry Mancini’s “Moon River”, a timeless classic with smooth tones and style.

The exercise was an interesting one for the chefs as well, some of whom readily admit they are not classical music fans so just listening to the pieces assigned by Kuan was challenging.

“At first I thought it was a bit of a different idea and wasn’t sure but then I listened to the music with Dale, who explained the music to me,” said Caudill, referring to Salute front man Dale “Daleo” Kirshnitz, an accomplished musician.

“We went over the beats and how the music changed and what it meant and then I was able to come up with the dish,” said Caudill.

“It was an odd idea at first, but then Carolyn came in and explained,” said Peppercorn’s Dino Cialfi who was handed Verdi’s “Brindisi” from “La Traviata” as the inspiration for his “new” dish, tagliolini alla rughetta.

“The exercise took me back to my music appreciation class in college,” he said. “I’ll do anything for publicity for the restaurants and after listening to the music, all I could think of was the Alps in spring when it is green,” he said. “The green and yellow and red of the dish mimicked the music.”

For Cialfi, the new dish wasn’t really brand new but certainly fit the bill when it came to meshing art and cuisine.

“I actually created this dish many, many years for Alicia Roncari’s mom,” said Cialfi, referring to Roncari who owns Bin 228, another downtown Hartford restaurant. “At the time I told her I would create a pasta dish that would sing,” he said smiling. “Now I can really say it is a dish that really does.”

“Playing for Food” concert is May 18 at 7:30 p.m. and will include musical selections as well as a discussion about the food with the participating chefs. The specially created menu items will be featured March 1 to May 13, with patrons who try each of the special dishes eligible to get a free companion ticket to the concert with the purchase of a ticket. From May 15 to June 30, those who visit the participating restaurants will receive a dinner discount on the dishes featured as part of the concert.

Participating restaurants are the Pond House, 1555 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, Pond House Grille, 2935 Main St., Glastonbury, Firebox, 539 Broad St., Hartford, Salute, 100 Trumbull St., Hartford, Max Downtown, 185 Asylum St., Hartford, and Peppercorn’s Grill, 357 Main St., Hartford. Patrons will receive a slip with their receipt if they eat one of the new dishes; collect all five slips and bring them to the HSO Box Office (100 Pearl Street, Hartford) by May 13 to receive a free companion ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket.

SHSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal to be Featured as Conductor and Soloist in All-Mozart Program

HARTFORD, February 26, 2013 –The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will explore The Genius of Mozart on Thursday, March 14 – Sunday, March 17, 2013 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal, who will act as both conductor and violin soloist, the HSO will perform works from throughout Mozart’s life, from his very first symphony written at the age of eight to his last, composed at 32, along with concerti written early and later in his career. This all-Mozart program will include his Symphony No. 1 and No. 41, “Jupiter;” Violin Concerto No. 3; and Clarinet Concerto in A Major featuring HSO principal clarinetist Curt Blood.

HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as recitalist, chamber musician and orchestra leader. Born in Moscow, Russia, he began violin studies at the age five and a year later was accepted to the renowned Gnessin School. He went on attending and graduating with excellence from the Moscow Conservatory. His experience includes recital and chamber music appearances in the US, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Japan and South Korea.  Mr. Sigal is also concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra. He serves on faculty of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford.

Curt Blood has been an active teacher and performer in the northeast since 1982, having held the principal clarinet chair in the Hartford Symphony Orchestra since that time. He has toured internationally, most notably performing at the International Music Festival at Santander, Spain. He also serves as principal clarinetist with Buzzards Bay Musicfest in Marion, Massachusetts. Mr. Blood holds teaching positions at the University of Connecticut and The Hartt School.  His past students have performed with ensembles around the country including the United States Coast Guard Band, the Albany Symphony, Glimmerglass Opera, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is a graduate of New England Conservatory.

Calendar Listing:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: THE GENIUS OF MOZART
Featuring HSO concertmaster Leonid Sigal, conductor and violin soloist; Curt Blood, HSO Principal Clarinet
Thursday, March 14, 2013 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 15, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 2013 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 17, 2013 │ 4:30 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 1 in Eb Major, K. 16; Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, “Jupiter;” Concerto No. 3 in G Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 216; Concerto in A Major for Clarinet and Orchestra, K. 622
Ticket Information: Tickets to this concert range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, March 16, $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.

These concerts are presented in part by the Koski Memorial Fund, which was established by Sylvia Koski to honor her late husband, Edward Koski. The 2012-2013 Masterworks Series is sponsored by MetLife Foundation and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, with additional concert support from Bank of America, Cigna, The Cly-Del Manufacturing Company, Hartford Hospital, the Katharine K. McLane and Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.