Schenectady Symphony Orchestra Announces BACH TO BASICS Virtual Concert

The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra has announced its second virtual concert of this COVID effected season.

Artistic Director Glen Cortese has arranged an all-Bach program entitled, "Bach to Basics", featuring two of the Brandenburg Concertos, numbers 3 and 5, along with Cantata #160 and his own arrangement of "Sheep May Safely Graze". Joining the Symphony for this performance will be Tenor Brent Weber from the School of Music at SUNY Fredonia and internationally renowned pianist, Philip Fisher.

Also making an appearance will be the Walden Harpsichord from Schenectady County Community College and Guest Narrator, WMHT Music Director, Rob Brown. Rob says, "I get to work with a dedicated team of true professionals who care deeply about bringing this community the very best classical music. We are thrilled to partner with the Schenectady Symphony and all the world-class musicians and presenters in our area. And we're thrilled to remain a trusted partner and your classical companion."

The Walden Harpsichord, donated to SCCC by Nancy Walden, will be making its first public appearance since being restored.

Tickets for viewing "Bach to Basics" are available at the Proctors online box office $20 (www.proctors.org) or over the phone 518-346-6204. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 1st.

After ticket purchase, access will be given to the stream, which is good for unlimited concert viewing from March 15-25.

Guest Performers' Biographical Information

Philip Edward Fisher is recognized widely as a unique performer of refined style and versatility. He has appeared across his native United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. His extensive recording credits include a 2-disc set of Handel Keyboard Suites on the Naxos label, while his recent release for Chandos - Piano Works by "The Mighty Handful" - was shortlisted in the Best Solo Instrumental Album category of the International Classical Music Awards.

He has appeared with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Tampere Philharmonic, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Symphonies of Albany, San Antonio, Toledo and the Juilliard School, working with conductors Hannu Lintu, David Alan Miller, John Axelrod, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Cristian Macelaru, Larry Rachleff, James Lowe and Giordano Bellincampi.

Philip holds degrees from the Royal Academy of Music and the Juilliard School. In 2001, he was granted the Julius Isserlis Scholarship by the Royal Philharmonic Society of London and was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music as part of their honours list for 2016.

Tenor Brent Weber has performed many leading operatic roles throughout the US and Canada. A featured soloist at Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He has also performed on Broadway with productions with "Encores, Great American Musicals" and for three years, he performed the role of Piangi in, The Phantom of the Opera, in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada.

Currently, Weber is an instructor of Voice at Duquesne University, and at Fredonia State, SUNY where he has taught Opera Workshop, diction and repertoire classes. He also stage directed the productions of Don Giovani, The Merry Widow, Music Man, and Little Women by Mark Adamo for WNYCO, and recently added to the Choral Conducting staff at SUNY Fredonia!

As General & Artistic director, Brent conducted the world premiere opera, The Selfish Giant with the Erie Opera Theatre where he conducted several operas

Rob Brown, WMHT Music Director - Born and raised in Albany, Rob started working at WMHT as an intern in 1995. His duties have certainly evolved from those early days sorting the music library and trying to stay out of everyone's way. Rob Brown is on the air M-F from 1 to 6 p.m., beginning each afternoon with the Big 1@1, a full-length Masterpiece to get our afternoons started out right.

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