Kid Friendly Musical Program Free for Children and Students Coming to Staten Island

On Sunday, October 6, at 3 pm, the Richmond County Orchestra will present Rare Rhapsodies, an afternoon of elegance, acrobatics and music that celebrates its 26th anniversary season on Staten Island with a unique, kid-friendly, free musical program for students and children. Rare Rhapsody occurs at the College of Staten Island Springer Auditorium, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314.

The program includes performances by The Saw Lady, a.k.a. Natalia Paruz, who plays music on a carpenter’s saw; Jia-Yi He, a harmonica player who appeared on America's Got Talent; Julie Passano Krygsman, The Flying Trombonist, a musician and aerialist; and Zoe Ray Prawda, The Tuneful Bard, a juggler, singer, and composer.

The program also includes The Mighty String Demons, an ensemble of youth who specialize in string instruments. In addition to the program the Richmond County Orchestra will play Wolfgang Amadeus’s recently rediscovered piece Nachtmusik (German for Quite Little Night Music), also known as  Serenade in C.

Tickets for adults are $15 in advance, and they can be purchased here. Tickets are $20 at the door. For more information, visit here.

This program is made possible in part by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Nicotra Foundation.

About the Performers:

Jia-Yi He, a world-class harmonica virtuoso, has received numerous awards at international festivals and competitions in England, Germany, Israel, Japan, and the United States. He has appeared as a soloist with the China National Symphony Orchestra, China National Ballet Symphonic Orchestra and the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra.. The New York Mets chose him to perform a pre-game show at Shea Stadium. He is a harmonica teacher at the Brooklyn Music School in New York City.

Natalia Paruz, "The Saw Lady," has spent two decades bringing the rare art form of playing music on a carpenter’s saw to audiences worldwide. She has played the musical saw with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Madison Square Garden.  

Julie Passaro Krygsman, The Flying Trombonist, Krygsman is a trombonist on the ground or in the air, depending on the day. She is based in the northern New Jersey/ New York City area. She has been an active freelance trombonist for over twenty years, performing with many pit orchestras, symphonic orchestras, brass bands, brass quintets and various chamber ensembles.  She has been a featured soloist numerous times, most recently at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Julie has also been an aerial musician for over a decade.

Already a dancer and aerial acrobat, she began performing on aerial silks with her trombone in 2012. She trained at Circus Warehouse in New York City, concentrating her studies on aerial silks, flying trapeze, high wire, and contortion. She has since enjoyed a unique and exciting career in circus arts as a soloist, performing alongside international acts such as Maroon 5 and Cirque du Soleil. In 2017 and 2018, she was a featured cast member and musical soloist for two tours of Big Top Broadway. She has been an Assistant Marching Band Director at Cresskill High School for twenty-one years, where she teaches trombone students, drum majors, and all twirling disciplines. 

Zoe Ray Prawda, "The Tuneful Bard," is a juggler, singer, and composer with an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU. She volunteered at the 2024 NYC Unicycle Festival, helping dozens of people try unicycling for the first time. She plays in the drumline of the QBAC and portrays "Connie" in the musical production Betty and the Belrays at La MaMa.

The Mighty String Demons, featuring Eric and John Michaels, is an ensemble of young string musicians whose members are 8 to 17. It was founded in 1995 by director Sanchie Bobrow. They have performed music by Bach, Vivaldi, Bartok, Dvorak, Puccini and Brahms, with a repertoire that also includes additional types of music such as Gypsy, Irish and American fiddle tunes.

About Richmond County Orchestra: 

Founded in 1998 under the direction of Maestro Alan Aurelia, The Richmond County Orchestra continues its effort to enhance the musical and cultural life of Staten Island and students throughout NYC and strives to inspire a love of music through a presentation of the classical repertoire and programming that encourages interaction with audience members.

The orchestra offers live performances in the three council districts of Staten Island, presenting works of living composers and music from the past, providing its listeners with an opportunity to explore a new artistic language. In addition, the RCO offers educational innovations designed to capture the interest of young students who want to pursue a music career. Musicians from the RCO have gone into NYC high schools and middle schools and coached students in after-school programs culminating in Side-By-Side concerts with the students and the Orchestra. 

The RCO's popularity has grown so much over the years that they have been called upon to perform in various venues throughout the tri-state area, including Carnegie Hall, NYC; the Guggenheim Museum; the Museum of Natural History; Fairfield University; Washington Square Park; Asbury Park; and more. Tickets to all Richmond County Orchestra concerts are free for students and children.