Join the Newton Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble for a concert of Serenades for a Winter Evening with Mozart, Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita) in Bb major, K. 361 (1781) and Dvorak, Serenade in D minor, Op. 44 (1878). These types of serenades, written for the combination of instruments common in the Austro Hungarian Empire of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and commonly provided as entertainment for parties, were called Harmonie Musik. The concert will be held on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 pm. The members of the ensemble are Lisa Putukian and Carol Louik on oboe; Susan Porr, Kwame Lewis, David Halpert and Sylvain Bouix on clarinet; Shu Satoh, Terese Holm and Frank Casados on bassoon; Neil Godwin, Margaret McLallen, Justin Albstein and Casey Golomski on horn; Karen Pratt on cello; and Larry Pratt on bass.

Since 1965 the Newton Symphony Orchestra has provided opportunities for the greater Boston area's wealth of fine volunteer musicians to play in a quality symphony orchestra. They are known for their fine music and affordable concerts that are accessible for residents of Newton and surrounding communities. Now under its fourth Music Director, Newton native James M. Orent, the orchestra is increasing its outreach by bringing chamber music that complements works programmed in their orchestral concerts to the community.

Members of this chamber ensemble play in, among others, the Charles River Wind Ensemble, Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra, and Harvard's Lowell House and Dudley House Orchestras. Among the players are former professional musicians, a senior partner at a law firm, staff scientists, research scientists, an accountant, teachers and parents.

 

Duo Animé will give an afternoon concert on Sunday, December 14 at 2:00 pm. With Barbara Englesberg on violin and Esther Ning Yau on piano, the duo will play Sonatas for Violin and Piano by Leos Janacek and John Corigliano.

Assistant Concertmaster and founding member of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, violinist Barbara Englesberg is also a long-standing member of the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra. She teaches and coaches chamber music at Northeastern University, All-Newton Music School and in her studio. Ms. Englesberg has performed in Europe and the U.S. She completed her doctorate in music at Boston University.

Pianist Esther Ning Yau has appeared in solo and chamber recitals at, among others, Boston’s Jordan Hall and the Taipei National Concert Hall in Taiwan. She is a founding member of the New Piano Quartet, the Innonet Trio and Duo Animé. Ms. Yau holds double Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Accompanying from New England Conservatory of Music and is currently on the piano faculty at both the Longy School of Music and the New School of Music in Cambridge.

Leah Fine, vocals and Dan Kirschner, violin, will give an afternoon concert featuring Klezmer, Yiddish, Hebrew, Hanukkah and original Jewish music on Sunday, December 21 at 2:00 pm.

Leah Fine is a singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, cantor and bandleader. Leah has brought her beautiful voice to senior groups, synagogues, nightclubs, festivals and universities all over the United States, and recorded a CD of original contemporary Jewish music. Ms. Fine sang with the Zamir Chorale and attended the New England Conservatory.

Dan Kirschner, who comes from four Litvak grandparents, studied the classical violin and shifted to Klezmer about 20 years ago. His passion for Klezmer led him to found the Boston Kleztet, and more recently, the Boston Klezmer Ensemble.

 

Angel Valchinov, violin, and Keun-Young Sun, piano, will perform Romantic Treasures for the Violin: Works by Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Chopin and Bizet on Sunday, December 28 at 2:00 pm.

Bulgarian native Angel Valchinov performs with orchestras in the U.S. and Europe, serves as a concertmaster of several orchestras in the Boston area and in Bulgaria, and has an active private teaching studio. He has performed for Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino. In addition to having had Bulgarian National TV make a documentary about him, he has been featured on a number of television stations across the U. S. Mr. Valchinov plays on a J. B. Vuillaume violin of 1863, on loan from Mr. Max Hobart.

Keun-Young Sun, pianist, a native of Seoul, Korea, has been performing as a collaborative pianist as well as a solo pianist in numerous venues, including the Benedict Music Tent in Aspen, and Jordan and Brown Halls in Boston. She holds Master’s degrees in both solo piano performance and collaborative piano performance from New England Conservatory where she was a recipient of the graduate assistantship. As an active collaborative pianist, she gives chamber recitals in Korea and the U.S. and has participated in numerous master classes. She is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Boston University where she is a recipient of the Dean’s scholarship and a graduate assistantship.