Sherman Chamber Ensemble Concerts to Include Tribute to Sandy Hook Victims, 4/26-27

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble is honored to announce that its annual spring program will feature "Dawn," a work created by the talented young composer Paul Frucht in tribute to slain Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung. Performances will take place at the Jewish Community Center in Sherman on Saturday, April 26 at 8:00 PM and on Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 PM at the Brookfield Library. Also on the program will be works for flute, harp, clarinet, violin and cello by J.S. Bach, Handel, Muczynski, Wourinen and David Brandenburg, along with selections from the American Songbook.

Originally from Danbury and now a doctoral fellow in music at The Juillard School in New York City, Frucht knew Hochsprung when they were both at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury more than 10 years ago, he as a student and she as assistant principal. "When the tragic events occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I, like everyone else in the community, was shocked and deeply saddened," Frucht notes. "I felt immediately compelled to write something for Dawn's family and also for the other families who lost loved ones on December 14th. This piece is about how remembering Dawn can help us heal and move forward." Winner of numerous awards for composition at NYU and Juilliard, Frucht will be on hand at the performances to talk about his inspiration and the creative process.

"Ever since December 14, 2012, I have wanted to find a way to respond to the tragedy. As a musician, I have faith in the power of music to heal, but I wasn't sure what would be most helpful for those most affected. Then Paul Frucht contacted the Sherman Chamber Ensemble about his piece, and I knew we had the perfect answer," explains SCE Artistic Director Eliot Bailen. "'Dawn' is heartfelt and lyrical, and Paul is an incredibly gifted young composer."

Performers for this concert include harpist Stacey Shames, clarinetist Jo-Ann Sternberg, violinist Jill Levy, flutist Susan Rotholz and Mr. Bailen on cello, each of whom is given a chance to display their virtuosity in a program that also includes a Bach trio sonata for violin, flute, cello and harp; the Handel-Halvorson duo for cello and violin; Muczynski's duo for flute and clarinet; a trio for flute, clarinet and cello by David Brandenburg; and a transcription by Wourinen of "Ave Maria" by Josquin des Prez.

Tickets for the Saturday night concert, which is open to the general public, are $30 per person ($25 for students and seniors) at the door ($5 discount for advance purchase online at www.shermanchamberensemble.org) and include a post-concert reception with the musicians. The Jewish Community Center is located at 9 Route 39 South near the center of Sherman. For information and reservations, call the Sherman Chamber Ensemble at 860-355-5930.

Admission to the Sunday afternoon performance at Brookfield Library is free (free will donations welcome). The Library is located at 182 Whisconier Road in Brookfield, CT. Contact the Library at 203-775-6241 or visit www.brookfieldlibrary.org for more information.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble, founded in 1983, brings world-class live classical music performance to Western Connecticut and nearby New York state. Its signature summer chamber music series (to take place this year on July 11and 12, August 15 and 16 and August 29 and 30) has been described in The New York Times as "about as close as it gets to the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert." Other plans include Labor Day weekend bluegrass jamborees; the annual "Live at the Lake" coffeehouse; Thanksgiving weekend free jazz matinee performances; a Messiah Sing-in at St. Andrew's Church in Kent; activities for children and families and much more. Subscription tickets for the 3-concert summer series are now available for $50 until June 1 ($60 after that date). Support for this season comes from many generous individual donors, private foundations, local businesses and the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information, contact the Sherman Chamber Ensemble at P.O. Box 578, Sherman, CT 06784, online at www.shermanchamberensemble.org or by phone at 860-355-5930.

To post a comment, you must register and login.