This information is subject to change. Please see friendsmusic.org for the most current news about the performances and the performers.

April 21

Featured Artists from the Metropolitan Opera’s

Lindemann Young Artist Development Program

Lei Xu, soprano; Renée Tatum, mezzo soprano;
Evan Hughes, bass-baritone and Bryan Wagorn, piano.

May 19

Classical Music Students from the Juilliard School:
Zara Lawler, flute; Luke Fleming, viola and
Remy Yulzari, double bass.

June 16

Karkowska Sisters Duo

Anna Karkowska, violin and Katerina Karkowska, piano.

July 21

Jazz from Juilliard

Artists to be Announced.

August 18

Klezmer Concert featuring

Big Galut(e)

Robin Seletsky, clarinet; Sasha Margolis, violin;
Michael Leopold, lute; Richard Sosinsky, double bass
and Mark Rubinstein, accordion.

September 15

American String Quartet

Peter Winograd, violin; Laurie Carney, violin;
Daniel Avshalomov, viola and Wolfram Koessel, cello.

October 20

Violin Piano Duo or Cello Piano Duo

Artists to be confirmed.

November 17

Classical Trio

David Han Marks, violin; Christine Kim, cello
and Sungah Han, piano.

December 1

Holiday Concert

Artists to be announced.

Author's note: I started this blog several years ago as a method of posting fast-breaking changes to the Friends of Music calendar because it was not possible to update our Web site in a timely fashion. Now that the Web site is up-to-date, the blog has become redundant and I will not be posting to it on a regular basis. That may change at some point in the future and another person within the organization might choose to write here.

We appreciate your interest and hope you will check friendsmusic.org for further information about the Friends of Music organization and the concerts we sponsor, particularly those listed above.

Best regards,

Marianne Mukai
Administrator, Friends of Music of Stamford NY, Inc.

City of the Hills Chorus to Perform Holiday Concert, December 2 at 3PM

City of the Hills Chorus (left to right, front to back):
Row 1: Jo Melmer, Liz Moeller, Sue Dana-LeViness, Flora Beth Cunningham (Director),
   Terry Hait, Joanne Burdick
Row 2: Donna Fornito, Karen Adolfsen, Mary Johnson-Butler, Chris Hughes, Elaine Mattice
Row 3: Pat Ashe, Kate Brooker Milano, Jennifer Withington, Dorcas Ross, Jan McGrath
Row 4: Connie Herzig, Linda Allen, Carol Wood, Joy Sanders, Kathy Polley

PLEASE NOTE: Our apologies for the confusion in local newspapers. There is no admission charge for this concert -- admission is FREE!

By popular demand Friends of Music is happy to welcome back the City of the Hills Chorus for the final concert of our 26th season at 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 2, 2012. As in the 2011 Holiday Concert the program will include traditional carols and some contemporary songs interspersed with audience sing-a-longs to get us in the mood for the Holidays we will be celebrating soon afterwards.

The City of the Hills Chorus is a group of area women of all ages and all walks of life who meet once a week because they love to sing four-part harmony in the barbershop style. The chorus and quartets from within the larger group have performed for business and social organizations, nursing homes, Oneonta’s First Night and other community events and offer entertainment in the Oneonta/ Cooperstown area singing modern show tunes, ragtime toe-tappers, pop tunes, and old favorites.

The Chorus chartered with Sweet Adelines International in 1985. Sweet Adelines is an international organization of women whose purpose is to teach the American folk art of singing four-part harmony in barbershop style, and through performances, to encourage appreciation of the tradition of that music. For more information about the Chorus please visit their Web site.

The program for December 2 is as follows, subject to change:

                                     2012 Holiday Concert
                                  City of the Hills Chorus

                        Happy Together

                        Over the River

                        Christmas Chopsticks

                        Sing-along:  Santa Claus is Coming to Town

                        Four of Hearts Quartet

                             Angels We Have Heard on High

                        Sing-long:  Play a Simple Melody

           

                        Intermission

                        Rudolph

                        Sing-along:  Little Drummer Boy

                        SOS

                        Upscale Quartet

                              California Dreamin’

                        Twelve Days After Christmas

                        Sing-along: Carol Medley

                        We’re All In This Together

As always we thank all of our donors and in particular the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and the O'Connor Foundation; it is thanks to your generosity that this concert and our entire season are possible.

We wish all a wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving and hope you will join us to start off the December Holidays with a fun-filled performance by the City of the Hills Chorus.

Justin Kolb in Concert at the Cyr CenterSunday November 18 at 3PM

Justin Kolb, piano

For the eighth concert and the final classical chamber performance of our 2012 Season, Friends of Music is happy to welcome back Justin Kolb, piano. Mr. Kolb usually includes lively and humorous commentary in his programs, which keeps the audience engaged regardless of their musical tastes. The program for this concert — as he often likes to do — includes the music of Franz Liszt and works by living American composers.

Nationally Mr. Kolb serves on the Board of Directors of the American Liszt Society. In our region he is highly regarded as an Honorary Director of the Belleayre Music Festival in Highmount, New York and for the key role he plays in organizing the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. He also serves as artist-in-residence for Kids in the Kaatskills, a charitable foundation.

As an educator Justin Kolb notes that “Music education of young people is a short cut to intellectual development and the key to a happy life.” His favorite topic of conversation involves “the innate entrepreneurism of musicians,” which we have observed first-hand with virtually all of the artists who perform in the Friends of Music series.

Mr. Kolb began his piano studies at age four and soon became a student of Francis Clark and Lillian Whitaker DeCamp. He made his concert debut at the age of ten in solo performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Gary Symphony. At DePaul University, Kolb studied with Herman Shapiro, Alexander Tcherepnine, and Paul Stacevich; he has since received the University's Distinguished Alumni Award.

While serving in the Army, Justin Kolb was named a cultural ambassador by the State Department and toured throughout Europe and the Middle East. He has studied with Rolf Beyer in Germany and with Gui Mombaerts, Martin Canin, and German Diez. Justin cites German Diez (once a teaching assistant of Claudio Arrau) as his most important musical influence. The master pedagogue is Kolb's close friend, mentor and teacher of 20 years and is his artistic advisor.

Justin Kolb has graciously agreed to allow Friends of Music to dedicate his concert to the memory of David Caddis. Years ago when Mr. Caddis was president of this organization he engaged Mr. Kolb for his first performance in Stamford. It therefore seems elegant and appropriate to celebrate in this particular performance the dedication of both men to music in general and the relationship they had to Friends of Music and to each other, which are inextricably linked.

To read more about the artist please visit his Web site at www.justinkolb.com.

The program is planned as follows:

November 18, 2012

Program

Justin Kolb, piano

 

Liszt and the Barefoot Carmelite

 

Apparitions……………………………………	Franz Liszt
Senza lentezza quasi allegretto Vivamente Fantaisie sur une valse de Schubert
Costa Diva from “Norma”……………… Introduction and Variations……………	Bellini/Hermann Cohen Hermann Cohen
Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses Gnomenreigen	Franz Liszt
Intermission
On Wings of Song………………………… Reiselied………………………………………	Mendelssohn / Liszt Mendelssohn / Liszt
Four Preludes…………………………………	Joseph Hudson
October Wind Pas de Deux January Snow Shawangunk Mountain View
Tango quasi una Fantasia…………………	Robert Cucinotta

Please join us for this final concert of our regular 2012 Season to enjoy the music of the talented Justin Kolb, and to pay tribute to David Caddis for his vital efforts in the development of Friends of Music and for introducing us to Mr. Kolb years ago.


We once again thank all of our donors and in particular the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O'Connor Foundation for your generous help which makes the Friends of Music concert series possible for all to enjoy.