Arlington Composer to be Featured in Concert

Editor's note: The following information comes from a press release from the New Philharmonia Orchestra.

Arlington resident Pasquale Tassone's work, "How Bear Lost His Tail," will be the featured piece of the New Philharmonia Orchestra’s upcoming Family Discovery Concert on Sunday, Jan. 29.

Tassone, former director of  Fine Arts Department, set the traditional Iroquois legend to music. The story of a proud bear and a clever fox is brought to life through the careful orchestration—every imagination will see the showy bear, hear the sly fox and feel winter’s chill. The piece will be narrated by Emily Paley, a student from Newton.

Tassone studied at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, has an honors diploma from the Chigiana Academy in Siena and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University. He has written music for the University of Lowell recital series, the M.I.T. band, The Master Singers, the and ALEA III.

Tassone is a founding member of the LUMEN Contemporary Music Ensemble, a group of composers devoted to bringing contemporary music to audiences in the Boston area.

The performance will also include excerpts of works by Bach, Strauss and Tchaikovsky. The New Phil’s ever popular Instrument Petting Zoo will follow the performance. Audience members of all ages are invited to touch and play the instruments of the orchestra. Fiddle a violin, swing a trombone, toot a flute, ring a triangle and slap that bass.

The Family Discovery Concert, "Winter Dreams," is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29. at the in Newton Centre, 848 Beacon St. For tickets or more information, visit www.newphil.org or call 617.527.9717. Tickets range from $10-$15 with a special price for families available via phone order.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional sponsors include The Village Bank and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.