The Chamber Players of Croton Set to Perform at the Croton Free Library

The Chamber Players of Croton will be giving a free concert at The Croton Free Library on Sunday, October 16, 2011 featuring talented local musicians playing works by: J.S Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Kosse, Puccini, Schubert and Ligeti.

“Some of our most interesting moments as a group occur when we begin discussing repertoire for an upcoming concert,” the group said. “We often joke that our rehearsals should be set as a reality television show as we are in constant negotiations due to our diverse range of musical tastes.  Fortunately, the realm of chamber music offers a wide palette of musical possibilities from which the group can choose.  For example, the group might perform a Bach cantata on the same program as a Hindemith or Ligeti wind quintet.  We work hard to arrive at a balanced program that will allow the audience to experience music that might be familiar favorites as well as music they may be hearing for the first time.”

Some of the new pieces audiences will be hearing for the first time at the October concert will be two arias from the Puccini’s Opera La Boheme arranged for wind quintet by former Ossining resident and member of the chamber group Liz Dejean’s (nee Deland) husband Gil, a bassoonist with the group Circadia.  

The concert will also feature local composer Roberta Kosse who set music to an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem. Kosse is a long time support of the ensemble and a resident of Croton. The poem will be sung in concert by soprano Terri Huntington.

The Chamber Players of Croton played their first concert in 2009 at the Croton Free library after Stephen Morris, a flutist, got inspired while attending a program at the library.

“Several years ago on a glorious Sunday afternoon Croton resident and flutist Stephen Morris attended a student recital at the Croton Free Library,” said the group. “He was struck by the vibrant interaction between audience and performers and wondered whether such a similar venue might be possible for adults. After writing to the library, he was referred to Cory Williamson, the president of the Croton Council on the Arts.”  

Cory helped Morris by introducing him to Greg Kullberg and Erika Schenker and they began to work on music and form an ensemble.

“Stephen shared a vision of creating a Chamber Music Society of wind, string, vocal, and other musicians for the benefit of the Croton community and to further contribute to its cultural vitality,” said the group.

The Croton Council on the Arts supported the idea and helped the fledgling group get their act off the ground by providing sponsorship for the public concerts at the library.  The first concert in 2009 featured Stephen Morris on flute, Greg Kullberg on clarinet, Erika Schenker on piano and Gina Serafin on Oboe. The concert was such a success that following it they decided to expand a little and add some new musicians.

“After that concert, Gina brought in fellow Queens College graduate, Eddie Cabrera on bassoon and just this year, Ossining native, Liz Deland joined the core wind quintet on French horn,” said the group. “Word of mouth spread fast and with each subsequent concert, the groups’ members fostered an environment that attracted additional musicians looking to contribute their talents.” 

The ensemble is comprised of excellently trained musicians, many of whom hold advanced degrees from rigorous conservatory programs such as The Julliard School, The Yale School of Music, The Mannes School of Music, The Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queens College and North Texas State University. While the basic training is similar, each member of the group also brings diversity by having careers in various fields such as medicine, education, technology development, and finance.

This concert will also feature a debut of a new member, flutist and piccolo player Annie Butler, who joined the group so Morris, flutist and founder, can take time to handle some health issues.

Love of music and the desire to share it with the residents of the Hudson Valley is at the heart of this ensemble.

“Our goal is to program and perform great music to further contribute to the wonderful arts culture already in Croton on Hudson and across the Hudson Valley,” said the group. “We look forward to sharing our work with the community and as always we thank our wonderful audience for their ongoing support and encouragement.”

You can hear the Croton Chamber Players on Sunday October 16^th at 2pm at the Croton Free Library.