Carolyn Kuan, Hartford Symphony Orchestra Music Director
Edward Cumming, Director of Orchestral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at The Hartt School
Graduate Conducting Students at The Hartt School
Members of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra

Join the current and former HSO music directors as they work with young conductors and give the audience a behind-the-music look at how conducting technique, score interpretation and musician interaction all come together to create the symphonic experience.

This is a free event; however, seating is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP by May 8 to info@hartfordsymphony.org.

The 2011-2012 Musical Dialogues Series is made possible by a generous grant from the Travelers Foundation.

Vocalist Tony Kishman, along with vocalist Jim Owen, guitarist John Brosnan, guitarist John Merjave, and drummer Chris Camilleri, will re-create Paul McCartney’s most popular songs alongside the HSO, including 17, Band on the Run, Bluebird, Eleanor Rigby, Get Back, Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, Jet, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Long and Winding Road,  Penny Lane, Silly Love Songs, Uncle Albert, I Am the Walrus, What the Man Said, When I’m 64, Yesterday, and more.

Actor, singer, and recording artist, Tony Kishman doubles as featured performer and producer of “Live and Let Die.” Tony starred for six years in both the national and international tours of Broadway’s smash hit, Beatlemania.  From the start, Kishman has been regarded as the quintessential Paul McCartney because of the gifted young musician’s uncanny resemblance both visually and vocally to the beloved Beatle. Tony has recorded for RCA Records and Mercury Records.

Singer, arranger, and musician Jim Owen was just sixteen when he made his first professional appearance in a Beatles tribute band.   By the time he was eighteen, he was touring internationally with various productions of Beatlemania, visiting Japan, Korea, China, Canada, Mexico, and South America, and performing his Beatles tribute in concert halls, theatres, and stadiums around the world.

John Merjave began playing in the Beatles’ tribute band Liverpool in 2001 and has been playing the George Harrison lead guitar role ever since. Liverpool is the official house band of The Fest for Beatle Fans, a convention which occurs annually in New York City and Chicago among other cities. Liverpool has also played back up for Donovan, Billy Preston, Ronnie Spector, Alan Parsons, Billy J. Kramer, Earl Slick, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Mark Hudson and Neil Innes and others.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Chris Camilleri started listening to Beatles records at a young age and, inspired by Ringo, took up the drums, the instrument to which he has devoted his professional career. Chris has played drums for major classic rock touring artists, including Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits fame), Badfinger, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees,  Joe Walsh, and other Beatles-era bands.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO POPS! SERIES: LIVE AND LET DIE: A Symphonic Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney
Hartford Symphony Orchestra with Martin Herman, guest conductor; Tony Kishman, keyboards, guitar, bass, vocals;  Jim Owen, keyboards, guitar, bass, vocals; John Brosnan, guitar; John Merjave, guitar; Chris Camilleri, drums & vocals
Saturday, June 9, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Mortensen Hall │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: A selection of Paul McCartney’s biggest hits, including 17, Band on the Run, Bluebird, Eleanor Rigby, Get Back, Golden Slumbers, Hello Goodbye, Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, Jet, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Long and Winding Road, “Maybe” Medley, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Penny Lane, Silly Love Songs, Uncle Albert, I Am the Walrus, What the Man Said, When I’m 64,  and Yesterday
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50. Student and children tickets are $10. $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 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.

HARTFORD, April 24, 2012 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will close the 2012-2013 Masterworks Series with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on Thursday, May 31- Sunday, June 3, 2012 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Led by Music Director Carolyn Kuan, this program will feature the combined voices of the Hartford Chorale, Connecticut Children’s Chorus, soprano Amanda Hall, tenor Joshua Kohl, and baritone David Pershall singing Carmina Burana, in addition to HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal performing Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto.

The concert will open with Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, which he wrote in secret during a period of fierce censorship in the Stalinist regime. Shostakovich likened the violin concerto to “a symphony for solo violin and orchestra,” and, with its four-movement structure, gravity of expression, and fully developed musical argument, it bears little resemblance to the traditional virtuoso concerto.

After intermission, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Hartford Chorale, Connecticut Children’s Chorus, and soloists Amanda Hall, Joshua Kohl, and David Pershall for Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The HSO played the American premiere of Carmina Burana in 1955; since that premiere it has become an iconic piece in orchestral and popular culture. Its music has been sampled in everything from sports documentaries, Glee, The Tonight Show, and Survivor to Gatorade and deodorant commercials, and even in music by Lil’ Kim and Ozzy Osbourne, amongst others. The title, Carmina Burana, or “Songs of Beuren,” derives its name from a set of poems discovered at a German Abbey called Benediktbeuren. The poems provided the text and inspiration for Orff’s large-scale musical setting, which gives a vivid, earthy portrait of secular medieval life by satirizing morality and religion, criticizing wealth, and celebrating the sensuous joys of food, drink, and love.

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 age five. He moved to the US in 1995 when he was awarded a prestigious fellowship with the New World Symphony. . His experience includes recital and chamber music appearances in the US, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Japan and South Korea. He has performed with Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein, and Christoph Eschenbach. Among his festival appearances are France’s Rencontres Musicales d’Evian, the Schwetzingen Festival in Germany, as well as festivals in Prague, Tokyo, Seoul and Miami.

A graduate of the Opera Program at the Yale School of Music, young American soprano Amanda Hall has earned recognition for her performances of demanding roles on both the operatic and concert stages. In season 2011-12, she sang her first performances as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte in her debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; debuted with Opera Naples as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni; with Opera Theatre of Connecticut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor; with Lubbock Symphony Orchestra as Violetta in a concert version of La traviata; with Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony; sings as soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in New Haven (CT); as soloist in a Puccini concert with Sanibel Music Festival; and returns to the roster of New York City Opera.

American tenor Joshua Kohl was called a “tenor to watch” by The Boston Herald and was recently singled out for his “glorious, relaxed performance” by Opera News.  Mr. Kohl began the 2011- 12 season at Nashville Opera portraying Alfredo in their production of La Traviata. He followed that engagement with the role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Sarasota Opera and will return this summer to Opera Saratoga for the Duke in Rigoletto. A National Semi-Finalist in the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he also received Honorable Mention in the 2008 Irma Cooper International Vocal Competition, and placed 7th in the 2009 Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition.

Also a graduate of the Yale Opera Program, baritone David Pershall has won many prestigious vocal competitions including 1st Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, 1st Prize in the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, 1st Prize in the Hugo Kauder Competition for Voice, the Presser Music Foundation Award, and the Thomas Stewart Award for Vocal Excellence. David’s performances for the 2011-2012 season included Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Opera Theater of Connecticut and a return to the Beethoven Easter Festival to record and perform Manfredo in L’amore dei tre re with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

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.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: CARMINA BURANA
with Carolyn Kuan, Music Director & conductor; Leonid Sigal, violin; Amanda Hall, soprano; Joshua Kohl, tenor; David Pershall, baritone; Hartford Chorale: Richard Coffey, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus: Stuart Younse, artistic director
Thursday May 31, 2012 │ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 1, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 3, 2012 │ 3:00 p.m.
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana; Dmitri Shostakovich: Concerto in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 99
Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, June 2, $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 2011-2012 Masterworks Series is sponsored 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, April 18, 2012 – A native of Hartford, Connecticut, saxophonist, composer, and educator Jimmy Greene has emerged as a formidable force in the jazz world, with eight critically acclaimed solo albums, 70 ensemble recordings, and countless international performances. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will feature Greene and his original arrangements for the HSO at Jimmy Greene with Strings, the final concert of the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at the Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor in Hartford.

Spearheaded by Jazz and Strings Artistic Director and HSO principal timpanist Gene Bozzi and featuring HSO bassist Rick Rozie, frequent HSO arranger and pianist Walter Gwardyak, and members of the HSO string section, concert highlights will include Greene’s original tunes “In Nelba’s Eyes,” “Revelation,” “Gethsemane at Night,” and “Bloomfield.” The program also will include Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke,” Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight” from West Side Story, and Sonny Stitt’s “Eternal Triangle.”

Gene Bozzi says, “My relationship with Jimmy goes back to when he was a senior in high school at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, where I was music department chair at the time. He graduated, went off to college, and started to make his mark on the jazz world; when I started this Jazz and Strings Series I knew that I wanted Jimmy to be one of our featured artists.”

Jimmy Greene has emerged as a positive force in the jazz world. Greene’s eight solo recordings, including his latest, Live at Smalls (SmallsLive), have been met with much critical acclaim, with Jazzwise Magazine calling Greene “without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years.”  Greene won the prestigious 2005 ASCAP / IAJE Commission in honor of Ornette Coleman, a 2004 Chamber Music America Grant in jazz composition, a 2005 Artist Fellowship in Music Composition by the State of Connecticut, a 2009 Artist Fellowship by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and a 2010 Creative Works grant from the University of Manitoba. Greene is on the faculty at the University of Manitoba and has taught at Purchase College (State University of New York), The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at The Hartt School (University of Hartford), and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

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 by HSO principal timpanist Gene Bozzi, the HSO Jazz and Strings Series brings collaborative performances of Jazz and Classical music to downtown Hartford.  Performances to date have included the music of John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, “Cannonball” Adderly, Johnny Hartman, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker and Stan Getz and have featured performances by such notable jazz musicians as Tina Fabrique, Sweet Sue Terry, Claudio Roditti, Wayne Escoffery, Giacomo Gates, Erica von Kleist, Kris Allen, Joel Frahm, and Shawnn Monteiro.

CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO JAZZ AND STRINGS: “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY WITH STRINGS
with Jimmy Greene, saxophone; Gene Bozzi, Jazz & Strings artistic director, drums; Walter Gwardyak, 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
Program: Original compositions and arrangements by Jimmy Greene, in addition to music by Cole Porter, Dave Brubeck, Leonard Bernstein, and Sonny Stitt.
Ticket Information: Single tickets to this performance 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 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.

Richard Coffey, conductor
CONCORA, Richard Coffey, artistic director

HSO and CONCORA come together in an intimate and inspirational setting to perform Handel’s holiday classic, including the Hallelujah Chorus…from one of the most famous choral works ever written!

Single Tickets on sale August 2012.

Carolyn Kuan, conductor
Frans Lanting, photography

A multimedia extravaganza for the senses, Life: A Journey Through Time features breathtaking photographs from National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting. His six-year journey to discover new insights about life on Earth is musically choreographed with an elegant composition from Philip Glass. This whimsically lyrical interpretation of Earth’s diversity is followed by an onstage conversation about conservation and our environment.

Get a complimentary ticket!
With each 9-concert 2012-2013 Masterworks subscription or 6-concert
2012-2013 Pops! subscription, you’ll receive one complimentary ticket to LIFE – A Journey Through Time.

Single Tickets on sale August 2012.

Tony Kishman guest artist

“Live and Let Die” combines the power of pop with the beauty of symphonic orchestration to bring an incredible concert experience for Beatles and Wings fans of all ages. Vocalist Tony Kishman and company re-create Paul McCartney’s most popular songs.

Student tickets are $10.

Saturday Night Special: $25 tickets for patrons age 40 and under!
Available at Saturday evening performances. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999, visit the HSO box office at 99 Pratt Street, 5th Floor, in downtown Hartford, or The Bushnell box office.

2011-2012 Series Subscriptions and Single Tickets On Sale Now!
Call 860.244.2999

Series Sponsor

Carolyn Kuan, conductor
Lyn Dillies, illusionist

The HSO brings out all its musical tricks in this magical evening of Halloween family fun.  Magic at the Symphony will meld the majesty of symphonic music with the mystery and grace of master illusionist Lyn Dillies to create a truly unique entertainment experience.

2012-2013 Series Subscription Renewals On Sale Now! New Subscriptions available June 11, 2012. Call 860.244.2999

Single Tickets on sale August 2012.

Series Sponsor

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, guest artists

Grab your “King of Swing” and “Go Daddy O” to see the HSO and guest artists Big Bad Voodoo Daddy take a New Orleans-style twist on the legendary big bands and swing orchestras. “Retro hep-cat cool.” – Rolling Stone. “The music picks up a beat and doesn’t let go.” – Everett Daily Herald.

2012-2013 Series Subscription Renewals On Sale Now!
New Subscriptions available June 11, 2012.
Call 860.244.2999

Single Tickets on sale August 2012.

Series Sponsor

Carolyn Kuan, conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie, guest artists

Take your holiday experience to new heights as Cirque de la Symphonie performs on and above the stage. Bring the entire family to hear holiday favorites while experiencing an awe-inspriing performance as the circus meets the symphony. 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!

2012-2013 Series Subscription Renewals On Sale Now! New Subscriptions available June 11, 2012. Call 860.244.2999

Single Tickets on sale August 2012.

Series Sponsor