Peekskill, N.Y. (June 13, 2013) – With great excitement, the Paramount Hudson Valley, formerly the Paramount Center for the Arts, garnered a full house to one of its re-opening concerts, held on June 9. World renowned violinist and Peekskill resident Daisy Jopling and the Westchester/Putnam Youth Symphony (WPYS) debuted The Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and Orchestra, a collaboration between Jopling, WPYS, and acclaimed German composer Tristan Schulze. The Peekskill Assumption School Singers, conducted by Melanie Lamoureux, also performed.
The show was dedicated to the Assumption School in Peekskill, which is closing after more than 100 years, and to WPYS founder and conductor Cheryl Ciano Havens, who performed with the orchestra for the last time prior to relocating to Virginia Beach. Additional highlights of the musically diverse program included Yahli Felixbrodt, a young up-and-coming star singing an original song dedicated to change, and soloists Patrick O’Grady on saxophone, Virginia Croft on violin, Grace Fairweather on cello, and Lindsay Hellinger on bassoon. Peekskill mayor Mary Foster and Assembly women Sandy Galef were present.
“I am dedicated to developing the cultural interests of the local community,” said Daisy. “This program brought together a number of local musical organizations, and was extremely well-received by the audience.”
Audience member Roger Grace expressed his joy. “What a pleasant surprise… the re-opening of a classic performing arts palace and the exciting diverse music program delivered to the audience by Daisy, her band and the local artists. The highlight for me was the youth orchestra and its soloists performing a symphony especially commissioned for the event.”
About Daisy Jopling: Violin sensation Daisy Jopling, whose fusion of classical training and rock prowess has graced prestigious stages from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Royal Albert Hall in London, has toured the world with the creative string trio, Triology, with whom she was signed to BMG/RCA Victor and arranged and recorded Hans Zimmer’s music for the Hollywood Films “Spanglish” and “Road to El Dorado.” Her solo work is renowned worldwide and has included performing for an audience of 30,000 opening the Vienna Festival in Austria. Jopling is a strong proponent of music education and is actively encouraging children to develop their love for music. She is currently on tour with the Daisy Jopling Band.www.daisyjopling.com