Richmond County Orchestra to Present CONCERTO DI PRIMAVERA Next Weekend

On Sunday, April 28th, at 3 pm, the Richmond County Orchestra will present Concerto di Primavera, a farewell and thank you to St John's University Staten Island Campus, 300 Howard Ave Staten Island. As a continuation of RCO's Keeping it Free for Kids programs, this program will be free for students and children. This program is made possible in part with public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 in advance at the button below.

The concert features America's Got Talent performer Jia-Yi He, virtuoso harmonica soloist and Marguerite Maria Rivas, Staten Island's first poet laureate, who will share her poem "Bement Ave Nocturne."

The orchestra will accompany Jia-Yi He in the Flight of the Bumblebee performance and perform the symphonic tone poem Romeo and Juliet and excerpts from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and Spring Song by Mendelssohn. Enjoy narratives by Tania Eicoff. Raffle prizes will be awarded after the concert.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

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.

Marguerite María Rivas, A native New Yorker and Poet Laureate of Staten Island, teaches women's literature and writing at Borough of Manhattan Her creative and scholarly work is based on the history, culture, and environment of Staten Island. Her essays and poetry have been published nationally and internationally in anthologies, journals, and periodicals, and is the author of two volumes of poetry. She enjoys welding and performing improvisational spoken word with musicians in her spare time. e is the.

Conductor Alan Aurelia founded the Richmond County Orchestra in 1998 to provide Staten Island with the best of live musical performances. Maestro Aurelia has served on the music faculties of Borough of Manhattan Community College, Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, Wagner College and The Staten Island Conservatory of Music. He is a regular guest conductor in Massa, Italy. Under his leadership, the RCO has performed at prestigious venues like the Guggenheim Museum and Carnegie Hall.

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 as well as 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 career in music. Musicians from the RCO have gone into NYC high schools and middle schools and coached students in after-school programs which have culminated in Side-By-Side concerts with the students and the Orchestra.

The popularity of the RCO has grown so much over the years that they have been called upon to perform in various venues throughout the tristate area, including at 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.