Media Coverage

Warren Gerds article about this weekend’s concerts:
View the complete article on www.greenbaypressgazette.com.

By Warren Gerds | wgerds@greenbaypressgazette.com | Oct. 28, 2011

Acclaimed pianist Lilya Zilberstein will perform three concerts in three days in a highly unusual arrangement for Northeastern Wisconsin.

Born in Moscow and today a resident of Hamburg, Germany, Zilberstein proved popular in previous engagements in this area.

Brown County Civic Music Association and the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra cooperated in putting together the coming visit.

Concert review
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
4 stars out of 4

By Warren Gerds wgerds@greenbaypressgazette.com

“Happy Russian composers” may seem contradictory, but that was the tone of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s concert Sunday night at Ralph Holter Auditorium of  Green Bay West High School. The concert of spirit and zest closed the 2010-2011 season for Brown County Civic Music Association.

From the opening, brilliant moments of Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” to the aural panoramas of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italien” at the end, the program was dominated by exuberance. Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 9” playfully scampered in the opening movement. Driving rhythms grew faster and faster in later movements, with conductor Stuart Chafetz driving the frenzy. The program’s style was right down the alley for Chafetz, who likes to interact with the audience and toss hints. In the midst of a piece, he’ll strike a grand, smiling pose as if to tell the audience, “I’m having a great time, and you should, too.”  For Mikhail Glinka’s overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla,” Chafetz lept to the podium and into action. Music often swirled as it bookended passages of regal bearing.

Familiarity was the mark of selections in the second half. Included was the gliding suite from Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty.” Reinhold Gliere’s “Russian Sailor’s Dance” was laced with such boisterous color that it was easy to envision dancers dipping to deep knee bends followed by dramatic kicks. Chafetz introduced “Capriccio Italien” with flair: “A Russian writing about Italy – It’s so good you can taste the clothing.” Indeed, Tchaikovsky got caught up in  majesty, happiness and romance.

Chafetz and the rock solid orchestra immediately received a standing ovation. Chafetz was called back twice. That brought a sweet encore, French composer Maurice Jarre’s “Lara’s Theme.” While not of Russian birth, the music is from the Russian-rooted “Dr. Zhivago” novel and movie. And beautiful.

by Warren Gerds • greenbaypressgazette.com • April 21, 2011

Action started when Brown County Civic Music Association booked famed pianist Lilya Zilberstein for a concert with her sons.

Zilberstein asked Roger Bintz, who books performances for Civic Music, if any other local organization might be interested in presenting her to make her flight from Hamburg, Germany, more cost-efficient.

Bintz lives four doors away from Mike Stefiuk, executive director of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. Bingo.

Civic Music will present Zilberstein in concert with her sons on Nov. 11.

The Green Bay Symphony will feature Zilberstein as guest artist in its Nov. 12 concert.

Visit the Green Bay Press Gazette’s site for Warren Gerds’ complete introduction to the 2011-2012 season schedule.

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Concert review
Imani Winds
4 stars out of 4 Read the rest of this entry »

greenbaypressgazette.com • March 18, 2011

Imani Winds, a New York-based wind quintet, will make its first appearance before a Brown County Civic Music Association audience March 26 at Green Bay West High School.

Imani means “faith” in Swahili.

The Grammy-nominated group will present repertoire spanning European, American, African and Latin American traditions along with wind arrangements of music composed by Felix Mendelssohn, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky.

Speaking from the stage, members will introduce their program, their personnel and their projects.

Read the complete article at:
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201103190407/GPG04/103190680

By Warren Gerds • greenbaypressgazette.com • November 7, 2010

Dazzling bursts of energy, songs that haunt, and humor and elaborately costumed folk exotica from Eastern Europe. That doesn’t sound like a collegiate performance group. But it is: The amazing Tamburitzans.

The 32-member pride of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh continues to impress in its 74th year.

The troupe’s 35-state tour this season Saturday night stopped at Ralph Holter Auditorium of Green Bay West High School as part of the Brown County Civic Music Association series.

In 25 sections, the students colorfully brought forth songs, dances, looks and emotions of such countries and regions as Croatia, Serbia, Bavaria, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, Hungary, Greece and Moldavia.

Read the complete article at: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201011070407/GPG04/11070675

Press-Gazette • October 23, 2010

For its second concert of the season, Brown County Civic Music Association will present the internationally known Tamburitzans.

The 32-member ensemble from Duquesne University performs the traditional music, songs and dances of Eastern Europe under the direction of managing director Paul Stafura.

Read the complete article at: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201010230407/GPG04/10230424

An article in Saturday’s Press Gazette included an incorrect date for a performance by the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. The correct date is Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ralph Holter Auditorium at Green Bay West High School.

If you don’t already have them, get your tickets online here. (Scroll down to find individual ticket sales.)

By Warren Gerds • October 3, 2010

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin earned two standing ovations Saturday night to get another season of Brown County Music Association concerts off to a solid start.

The 17 musicians from Moscow poured splendor into Ralph Holter Auditorium of Green Bay West High School.

Youth was present. Many of the players seem to be in their 20s.

Most impressive on the evening was “Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Two female violinists from the orchestra stood out front and dove into the energy and rich tapestry piece. Seeing how they led the orchestra and how they finessed where their instruments rose, raced and interacted was fascinating. That was the only piece not led by founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky, who conducts without a score. His attention to detail reaps rewards all around…

To read the review in its entirety, go to:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101003/GPG0704/10030614/Warren-Gerds-column-Moscow-ensemble-brings-crowd-to-its-feet-twice

Seraphic Fire

Seraphic Fire will be featured on NPR’s All things Considered today. Those in the Green Bay area can tune in to 89.3 WPNE-FM from 4-5 p.m. to listen to the show. Of course, if you miss the story on the air live, you can catch it on the NPR website after 6 p.m. today.

Seraphic Fire is scheduled for the January 21, 2011 concert in this year’s BC Civic Music series.