Concert Season in Full Swing: A Prolific Month for Music in Connecticut

Strategic Insights -

The concert season in Connecticut is brimming with activity as the traditional spring recitals give way to summer festivals. Multiple venues across the state will host a diverse array of performances, showcasing a wide range of musical offerings. From classical masterworks to more contemporary fare, there's something for every music lover to enjoy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chamber Music Society of Westport (Concorde) is hosting its third consecutive symphonic concert, with Glen Cortese conducting the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra in Brahms's "Academic Festival Overture" and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
  • A 5 o'clock recital at the Carriage Barn in Waveny Park in New Canaan will feature the Connecticut Chamber Alliance-sponsored performance of Lois Errante and Jayson Engquist, a cello-piano duo playing Mendelssohn's "Song Without Words" and sonatas by Rachmaninoff and Benjamin Britten.
  • The Armstrong Chamber Concerts are expanding, with new events in Greenwich, Lenox, and Washington, featuring a salon evening, a concert in Lenox, and a finale recital in Washington.
  • What may be the first outdoor event of the season is set to take place at the Holley-Williams House Museum in Lakeville, where the Brass Ring Quintet will open the 1994 Concert Series, performing in conjunction with the opening weekend festivities of the Salisbury Cannon Children's Museum.
  • The Danbury Music Center is now accepting enrollments for its Summer Music Enrichment Program, a six-week project starting July 5 that offers instruction and ensemble experience in various instruments.
  • The center is also planning a June 5 tribute to long-time Danbury Symphony members Helen Svonkin and Clois Ensor, who have both been part of the symphony since its inception in 1935.

Statistics:

  • Four artists won the Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition at Yale University: harpist Andrea Steckermeier, violinist Siyeon Ryu, pianist Wei-yi Yang, and cellist Joseph Elworthy.
  • The Aspen Duo, a cellist Eugene Takahashi and pianist Lucia Ahn, won the first prize of $1,000 and an appearance in next season's Shoreline Concert Series.
  • The silver medal and a $500 award went to Tertia, a New Haven-based oboe-clarinet-bassoon trio composed of Kelly McElrath, Gabriela Cohen, and Ian Warman.
  • The Danbury Music Center's Summer Music Enrichment Program has limited openings in its Steel Drum Band program (limited to the first 18 applicants).

Sources:

  • "In days past the concert season was concluded by the end of April; now there's hardly a break between the end of spring recitals and the start of summer festivals." - The New York Times, [no date]
  • "The Chamber Music Society of Westport, or Concorde for short, functions along the lines of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, its core group of eight musicians joined by guest artists as programing requirements dictate." - [no source]
  • "For reservations, call 661-4667." - [no source]
  • "A 5 o'clock recital at the Carriage Barn in Waveny Park in New Canaan." - [no source]
  • "The Connecticut Chamber Alliance is sponsoring the event." - [no source]