Future Musical Treats

Among the treats we picked up at today's Open Air Market at the Wadsworth Mansion were announcements of 2 upcoming concerts series.

That smiling face to the left belongs to cellist and Middletown resident Jason Duckles and, on Saturday September 26, he will play the opening program in the Russell Library's 2009 Fall Concert Series. Titled "Cello All Alone", Duckles, 1/3rd of the Amelia Piano Trio, will play music by J.S. Bach and contemporary composers John Harbison and Augusta Read Thomas.

Duckles studied at Northwestern University and received advanced degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He teaches at both Wesleyan University and Connecticut College, has private students and is very involved in other educational projects. On top of that, he is a masterful musician and his concert should be quite enjoyable. It takes place at 2 p.m. in the Hubbard Room (as do all the shows with the same start time.)

The schedule also includes harpist Bridget Kirby (October 3), the duo of violinist Emil Altschuler & guitarist Jerome Mouffe (October 24) and the Janaki String Trio (December 2.) The concerts are free and open to all in the community, just part of the Library's commitment to make Middletown a great to live, learn and enjoy the arts. For more information, go to www.russelllibrary.org.

The Greater Middletown Concert Association has not 1 but 2 series planned for 2009-10. There are 3 shows scheduled for the Concert series that starts on Saturday October 17 the vocal trio of Terry Burrell, Robert Cuccioli and Christianne Tisdale performing "Broadway Live: The Songs, The Shows, The Stars" at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Middletown High School Performing Arts Center, LaRosa Lane.
Subsequent shows include the Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band (February 7, 2010) and The Adaskin Trio (April 10, 2010.)

This season, Barbara Arafeh and her hardworking committee have added a new wrinkle to their presentations and that is the "Opera Series." The Connecticut Lyric Opera and the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Adrian Sylveen, conductor (pictured), will present Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("The Elixir of Love") on Saturday December 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the MHS Performing Arts Center. The companies will return on Saturday May 15 2010 to perform Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci" and Puccini's "Gianni Schicci."

Tickets for both series are now on sale and you can find out more by calling 347-4887 or 346-3369 or by email at bmwa@aol.com. The GMCA's series remain one of the best bargains in the state and the performances are always first-class.