Two Classical Concerts

in one weekend

Spring is the season for concerts involving students. Two groups I have the privilege of coaching and performing with will present concerts on the weekend of April 27th and 28th. 

 

Teen musicians who have been gathering to rehearse chamber music over the last few months will share their work in a concert on Saturday, April 27^th at 7 PM at The Little White Church in Eaton. Admission is free, but donations benefit The Little White Church. The Little White Church is located at 2371 Eaton Road in Eaton Center, New Hampshire.

These young musicians are developing leadership skills, discipline, and the ability to manage a long-term project. I organizes this program and coach the students as they prepare their music. It is certainly a highlight of my teaching year. This year, selections range from a siciliano from Bach's E Flat major flute sonata, to a difficult piece for piano and violin by Lilli Boulanger, to a woodwind quartet composed by one of the participants.

The Little White Church is a perfect venue for the concert with its beautiful setting, wonderful acoustics, and professional-level Steinway piano.

On Sunday, April 28th, another group of teens perform alongside some adults who love to play string orchestra music. Valley Strings is an accomplished local string orchestra. Accomplished Teens and adults meet every monday night during the school year at Fryeburg Academy's music building to practice repertoire specific to violin family instruments: violin, viola, violincello, and contrabass. On Sunday, April 28^th at 1 PM, Valley Strings performs at Fair Grounds Coffee in Fryeburg.

The concert features St. Paul's Suite by Gustav Holst, a lullaby composed for strings by George Gershwin, and a modern piece full of lush harmonies by Yukiko Nishimura. Fair Grounds Coffee, at 627 Main Street, offers lush acoustics perfect for the unique sound of blended stringed instruments in a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. For more information about either of these concerts, please e-mail me at  ellen.m.schwindt@gmail.com.

Two musical friends are joining me to present an afternoon of classical music on Sunday, April 7. Fryeburg New Church is located at 12 Oxford Street in Fryeburg, Maine.  Carren Webber, Charlotte Gill and I have been rehearsing as a trio for about a year. We are excited to share the fruits of our work together. The centerpiece of the concert is Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio, a work originally scored for clarinet, piano, and viola. We'll play it with violin, viola, and piano. It's a gem of a piece, full of sparkle and depth and perfectly constructed.

Also on the program is Enrique Granados first Spanish Dance for solo piano. I think of this piece as a great harbinger of the exuberance of summer to come. We'll be switching instruments around a little bit. Charlotte Gill will play a selection from Brahms,opus 118 for solo piano. Carren Webber and I will play a Mozart Duo for violin and viola. I also plan to play a new composition for solo piano that I'm in the process of finishing.

It's sure to be an afternoon of delicious musical treats followed by some cookies and coffee downstairs in the fellowship area of the church. This is a free performance. Donations benefit Fryeburg New Church.

I hope to see many of you there,

Ellen