New Friends of The Oakland Public Library Hosts Chamber Music Sample

The following was submitted by Ronnie Levine:

The New Friends of The Oakland Public Library proudly invites all area residents to join them for the very exciting, opening concert of their 2013-2014 Musical Concert Series. The concert, “A Chamber Music Sampler,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, at The Korean Presbyterian Church, 222 Ramapo Valley Road.  

Highlighting compositions by Mozart, Brahms, Schumann and others, the concert will feature performances by outstanding professional musicians, all of whom live in Bergen County. Returning for the fourth time are Oakland residents, violinist, Laurie Hamilton, Principal Associate Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, cellist, Lanny Paykin who appears with the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and clarinetist Mitchell Weiss, who played with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Orchestra of “Les Mis” on Broadway.    

Appearing for the first time in the series is pianist Janet Montgomery, who is the music director of The Community Church of Glen Rock and the choir director and accompanist at Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes.  

Violinist Gabriel Schaff, teacher, historian, and author, and violist Shelly Holland-Mortiz, a member of the American Symphony and the Opera Orchestra of New York, will be returning to the Oakland stage.  

The New Friends Concert Series has been bringing outstanding musical talent to the community, free of charge, for the past three years.  

For the past two years the programs, which have highlighted music of all types—classical, jazz, cabaret, opera, percussion, and others—have been held at the Korean Presbyterian Church in Oakland.