UNITED IN PURPOSE: Hoff-Barthelson Music School's Youth Orchestras Winter Concert

Hoff-Barthelson Music School invites the community to experience an unforgettable afternoon of music at its Youth Orchestras Winter Concert, titled United in Purpose, on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 3:00 pm at the Sommer Center at Iona University, located at 171 White Plains Road, in Bronxville.

This special concert will showcase the talents of the Young People's Symphonette, Chamber Orchestra, and Festival Orchestra, performing a program that spans a rich variety of classical and festive works.

The concert will be conducted by Dr. Leandro Gazineo, HBMS's Director of Orchestral Programs, and Maestro Robert Schwartz, who leads the Young People's Symphonette and Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Gazineo, who is in his first year leading the Orchestral Programs at Hoff-Barthelson, shared, “It's an honor to work with such exceptional young musicians. This concert is a celebration of their growth and dedication. We are excited to present a program that spans centuries of musical history, from Mozart to the works of Camargo Guarnieri, and to unite our orchestras in a performance of Sibelius's Andante Festivo, a piece with a powerful message of peace.”

This year's program will honor the centenary of Giacomo Puccini's passing with a selection from his opera Manon Lescaut, alongside works by George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Edvard Grieg, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss, and Leroy Anderson. The concert will also feature the vibrant and rhythmic music of Camargo Guarnieri, one of Brazil's most renowned composers, with his lively Dança Brasileira — a tribute to the cultural fusion of Brazil's nationalist movement.

The highlight of the concert will be the special performance of Sibelius's Andante Festivo, which will be performed by all three orchestras together in a rare and powerful collaborative performance. The piece was originally arranged to be broadcast on New Year's Eve in 1939, sending a message of peace and goodwill from Finland to the World Exhibition in New York, just before the outbreak of World War II. During rehearsals, Sibelius urged the musicians to "play with more humanity," a sentiment that resonates deeply with today's audiences.

The full program includes:

• Symphonette: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart) and Gavotte (Grieg)

• Chamber Orchestra: Water Music Finale (Handel), Serenade for Strings (Tchaikovsky), and Symphony No. 104 “London” (Haydn)

• Festival Orchestra: Symphony No. 29 (Mozart), The Gypsy Baron Overture (Strauss), Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut (Puccini), Dança Brasileira (Guarnieri), and Sleigh Ride (Anderson)

• Special Collaborative Performance: Andante Festivo (Sibelius)

Program subject to change. Admission is by a suggested donation of $20; HBMS students may attend free of charge.

Celebrate the season of unity, joy, and peace with Hoff-Barthelson's talented young musicians. For more information, please visit www.hbms.org.

About Hoff-Barthelson Music School

Hoff-Barthelson Music School, based in Scarsdale, NY, has earned national recognition as a premier community music school, known for its outstanding leadership in education, performance, and community service. With a faculty drawn from the region's most talented teachers and performers, the School has long been one of Westchester County's most cherished cultural resources. At Hoff-Barthelson, students find a warm, friendly music school dedicated to the highest standards of education, performance, and community service. Students of all ages, aptitudes, and levels of interest enjoy a supportive, joyful learning environment; a focus on the whole person; exceptional teaching; and a multifaceted curriculum.

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