Connecticut Virtuosi Celebrates Immigrants With New Concert Series
LAUNCHING WE THE PEOPLE: IMMIGRANT STORIES IN MUSIC.
With an increase in harmful and divisive narratives surronding immigrants, the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra is ushering in harmony with its new concert series, WE THE PEOPLE: Immigrant Stories in Music.
For its 2024 - 2025 season, the orchestra led by Maestro Adrian Sylveen underscores the creativity and ingenuity immigrants bring to our country. The three part program highlights composers and musicians, hailing from Albania to India. Each concert in the series will be performed three times — at The Bushnell Performing Arts Center at the First Presbyterian Church of Hartford, the New Britain Museum of American Art and the Weill Recital Hall at the iconic Carnegie Hall.
The first part of the program is dubbed “The Shadows of Our Destiny.” Jakub Polaczyk's Slavic Streams: “Śmiętlana” will make its world premiere as the first concert of the season, followed by renowned Albanian-American violinist Brunilda Myftaraj’s performance of Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto. Florence-based singer Laura Andreini will also offer her rendition of Ottorino Resphigi's lyric poem Il for New Britain and New York only. The second concert, “Journey In Dreams Of Times & Places”, welcomes Damiano Tognetti as the conductor and violinist Adrian Sylveen. The third and final concert embarks on an auditory pilgrimage to India with “Hindustani - The Sounds Of North India.”
Additional performances for the 2024-2025 season includes In addition to the WE THE PEOPLE concert series Puccini's acclaimed La Bohême, alongside the Connecticut Lyric Opera on Sunday, November 17 at the Santo Fragilio Performing Arts Center in Middletown as well as Thursday, November 21 at The Bushnell at The First Presbyterian Church in Hartford. A lovely performance of pipe organ and orchestra music will occur on December 1 and April 13 at Saints Cyril and Methodius Church (63 Popieluszko Court, Hartford. Fans of Chopin can also enjoy his compositions as The Music of Chopin and Polish Christmas will arrive at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain on December 22.
Please see the full details for WE THE PEOPLE: Immigrant Stories in Music below:
The Shadows Of Our Destiny
Adrian Sylveen, Conductor
Brunilda Myftaraj (violin) and Laura Andreini (soprano), Soloists
Program: Jakub Polaczyk: Slavic Streams: “Śmiętlana” (World Premiere)
Alban Berg: Violin Concerto (arr. for chamber orchestra) featuring Brunilda Myftaraj, soloist
Ottorino Respighi: Il Tramanto (The Sunset, text by Shelley) featuring Laura Andreini, soprano
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.44 in E minor
Sunday, October 6 at 3pm - The Bushnell Performing Arts Center @ the First Presbyterian Church of Hartford (136 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT)
Sunday, October 13 at 3pm - New Britain Museum of American Art (56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT)
Tuesday, October 15 at 8pm - Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City
Journey In Dreams Of Times & Places
Damiano Tognetti, conductor
Ottorino Respighi: Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite No.3
Ernesto Ferreri: Octet for Chamber Orchestra, op. 32
Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto, Op.77 featuring soloist Adrian Sylveen
Sunday, February 2 at 3pm - Hartford
Friday, February 7 at 8pm - New York City
Sunday, February 9 at 3pm - New Britain
Hindustani - The Sounds Of North India
Program and Guest Artists to be announced
Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 3pm - Hartford
Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 3pm - New Britain
New York concert date to be announced.