Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Presents 'A Night In Russia'

JOHNS CREEK, GA — Join the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra for “A Night in Russia” on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Johns Creek United Methodist Church, 11180 Medlock Bridge Road. The concert includes Chattahoochee High School musicians performing alongside the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra in a night of Russian masterworks, including Tchaikovsky’s "Symphony No. 2."

Single tickets range from $18 to $37 and can be purchased online, by phone 678-748-5802 or at the door. Groups of 10 or more will receive a 15 percent discount and admission is free for Chattahoochee High School students with valid student ID.

For the first time, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra and Chattahoochee High School will perform side-by-side to create an evening of music in the Russian classical tradition. None of which would be possible without the presenting sponsor, Transamerica Foundation.

All the elements of music and the composing techniques of several great masters will be on display. Music Director, J. Wayne Baughman said, “combining a core group of approximately 45 skilled professionals with more than 50 of the best high school musicians in Georgia will give our audience an opportunity to hear a Russian 'tidal wave' of sound in selections by Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. ”

The concert will be conducted by Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor J. Wayne Baughman, Nicholas A. Garofalo and Lori Buonamici. Maestro Baughman studied choral and orchestral conducting, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in music education from the University of Alabama, as well as advanced studies in conducting at the University of Michigan.

Upon his arrival in Atlanta in 1974, Maestro Baughman immediately became involved with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Choruses, and for 25 years he was a frequent vocal soloist, chorus member, and rehearsal conductor under the guidance of the late Robert Shaw. Well known for his oratorio performances as bass soloist, he collaborated with Maestro Shaw on numerous performance projects, including the Mozart Requiem Mass, J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion, and Handel’s Messiah. In 1990, as bass soloist, Maestro Baughman shared the honor of a Grammy Award for the Telarc recording of Belshazzar’s Feast (Walton) and Chichester Psalms (Bernstein) with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Choruses.

Maestro Baughman has held numerous academic and church music conducting positions in a career spanning more than 50 years In addition to his work with the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, he serves as vice-president of the Cultural Arts Alliance at Johns Creek and chairs the Johns Creek Legacy Center Task Force.

Originally from the metro Boston area, Nicholas Garofalo completed his bache­lors of music education at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Garofalo has arranged, adjudicated and instructed many high school, middle school and clinician based ensembles throughout his career. After graduating from The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, he became the director of bands at Chattahoochee High School.

Lori Buonamici was born and raised in up­state New York. Buonamici earned a bachelor of music education from Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a Master’s degree in Viola Performance and Music Theory from Colorado State University. She then moved to Cali, Colombia, to play in La Orquesta Sinfonia del Valle, where she honed her violin and viola performance skills. She returned to the U.S. and worked on a PhD at the University of Con­necticut. However, she missed teaching, so she moved to Georgia to teach at Chattahoochee High School.