Pianist Diana Fanning will perform on Sunday, June 1, at 2:00 pm. The first portion of the program will include colorful and imaginative pieces by Bach and Janacek. The second half of the program will include works of Frederic Chopin designed to illustrate different aspects of his artistry, from the utmost delicacy to tremendous power.

Fanning is a well-known pianist who has toured extensively throughout the eastern U.S. and in Europe. A member of the music faculty of Middlebury College, she is a frequent guest artist on Vermont Public Radio and has performed live on Morning Pro Musica in Boston. Her CD of works by Chopin, Janacek and Debussy has received enthusiastic reviews in the U.S. and beyond. Ms. Fannings web address is www.middlebury.edu/~fanning.

 

South Korean born Minji Noh will give a concert of the works of Boulez, Schumann and Beethoven on Sunday, June 8 at 2:00 pm. Ms. Noh began her piano career at age nine as a soloist with the Baroque Symphony in South Korea and has performed throughout the U. S. She recently completed her Graduate Diploma at the New England Conservatory.

Ms. Noh’s rising affinity to avant-garde music in the 2007-2008 season led to the premiere performance of Chrisitan Wolff’s A Piano Piece, at Steve Reich’s 70th Birthday Celebration Concert at Jordan Hall under the composer’s supervision and collaboration with a well-known contemporary ensemble, Calimthumpian Consort.

The Newton Singers have been making music together for 17 years. Started by two women who love to sing, they fall under the auspices of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. Students, working professionals and retirees make up the 40 member chorus who span an impressive age range of 25-75 years old. While auditions are not required, the ability to sing on pitch and a love of singing for relaxation are the group’s hallmarks. Under the direction of Ben Youngman, music teacher at Newton South High School, the Newton Singers perform Broadway show tunes, the American Song Book and an occasional folk song. They will give a concert of favorites such as The Shadow of Your Smile, Georgia on My Mind, Seasons of Love and Yesterday on Wednesday, June 11 at 7:00 pm.

From retirees, to doctors taking time out of their morning schedules to attend rehearsals, to adult beginner musicians who long to play with others in a friendly and supportive environment, to a former violinist from the BSO, the Newton Senior Center Chamber Ensemble (NSCCE) has been delighting audiences with their performances since 2003. Under the direction of Gwendolyn Thornblade the group welcomes everyone, regardless of experience. Their goal is simply to share and make music together. Join NSCCE for a concert on Thursday, June 12 at 10:00 am. The program will include works of Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn and pianist/composer Joseph Leonard. Leonard, who was blind, fled Nazi Germany in 1936 and settled in Los Angeles. In 1939 he was interviewed and performed on the premier broadcast of a radio program called Talent in Exile which was created by the Hollywood Anti- Nazi League.

NSCCE’s director Gwendoline Thornblade has a passion for playing and a dedication to teaching music. Ms. Thornblade founded the Suzuki School of Newton in 1986. A former member of the Boston Philharmonic and the Heritage Players, Ms. Thornblade currently plays with the Longwood Symphony. She teaches privately in her home studio and at Project Step in Boston.

A Kaleidoscope of Chamber Music

Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble performs a wide musical repertoire from Baroque to the most recent 21st century compositions. They will give a concert of the works of Mozart, Prokofiev, Malcolm Arnold and Franz Schubert on Sunday, June 15 at 2:00 pm.

Kaleidoscope has appeared widely throughout New England. The ensemble’s members share many individual and group accolades and include Charlyn Bethell on oboe who was a founding member of the New Art Winds which made its New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall, Jill Dreeben on flute who was the winner of the New England Conservatory Baroque Concerto Competition, Jennifer Gilman on clarinet who performed at the Carnegie Recital Hall with New Art Winds and Sandi-Jo Malmon on cello who made her Lincoln Center debut with the Boston Quartet. Other members of the ensemble include Dani Rimoni principal violist of the Nashua Symphony Orchestra, Guy Urban who is the orchestral pianist for the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, Beth Welty on violin who has performed with the Handel and Haydn Society and Andrew Wilson the Principle Bass with the Hanover Chamber Orchestra.

Teen Programs - Dance, Dance Revolution

Join us on Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 pm for a teen program featuring music and video games including Dance, Dance Revolution. Refreshments will be served. Registration begins June 2; call 617-796-1380. If you don’t register you must bring a parent/guardian to the event to sign a release form. Also, watch for information on the Young Adult Summer Reading Program which will begin soon. Details will be posted in the Young Adult area on the second floor of the library.

N. E. Opera Club's Presentation on Wagner's Das Liebesverbot (The Ban on Love)

Join Erika Reitshamer of the New England Opera Club on Sunday, June 22 at 2:00 pm for an audiovisual presentation on Richard Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot (The Ban on Love). Explore this rarely performed opera written by Wagner at the age of 21 and based on Shakespeare’s comedy Measure for Measure. This program is being given by the New England Opera Club in anticipation of Glimmerglass Opera’s first fully-staged production of Das Liebesverbot as part of its 2008 summer festival season at the Alice Bush Opera Theater in upstate New York.

The New England Opera Club was founded 30 years ago by a small group of opera lovers and now boasts over 200 members from three states. Erika Reitshamer is a former board member of the New England Opera Club, Vice President of the Boston Wagner Society and a member of the Sudbury Opera Lovers Group.

Season Finale, Quartet Plays Mozart, Glinka, Beethoven & Chopin

Culminating the 2007-2008 Sunday Concert Series we are pleased to welcome bassoonist Adrian Jojatu, cellist Mihail Jojatu, clarinetist Emil Lancea and pianist Tudor Mihai Bota for a special performance on Sunday, June 29 at 2:00 pm. The quartet will play selections from Mozart, Glinka, Beethoven and Chopin.

Romanian-born bassoonist Adrian Jojatu performed at the summer residence of Pope John II the age of 17. He received full scholarships for both his Masters and Doctoral degrees from Boston University. His many awards and accomplishments include being invited to perform with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. He is the Principal Bassoonist of the Orchestra Sinfonica of Mexico.

A graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, Romanian-born cellist Mihail Jojatu has collaborated with such prestigious artists as Yefim Bronfman and Seiji Ozawa. He appeared as soloist with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. He became the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s fourth chair of the cello section in 2003 and occupies the Sandra and David Bakalar Chair.

Hailing from Romania, Emil Lancea earned a Performance Diploma in Clarinet from Boston University. His prizes and awards include first prize at the National Clarinet Competition in Romania. Mr. Lancea has been a soloist for live televised concerts and is an active chamber music player in Boston area.

Romania-born Tudor Mihai Boti received his Masters Degree in Piano Performance from Boston University and holds his Artist Diploma in Piano Performance from Boston Conservatory; both earned on full scholarship. He is the Music Director at Union Church in Waban, Massachusetts.