Adult Music Education Classes

Great Beginnings
and Endings

From the Heart
of the SSO

Entering
Bach’s World

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra presents three varied 90-minute virtual lecture/music events via Zoom beginning on November 19, 2020:

November 19, 2020, 7:30pm – Great Beginnings and Endings in Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies, with Maestro Kevin Rhodes
November 23, 2020, 7:30pm – From the Heart of the SSO: A Musicians’ Panel
December 2, 2020, 7:30pm – Entering Bach’s World: The Brandenburg Concertos, with Andrew Leonard

Great Beginnings and Endings in Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies

with Maestro Kevin Rhodes

Thursday, November 19, 7:30pm

In show business they always say start and end well, so in this Beethoven Anniversary Year, Maestro Kevin Rhodes will take a look at the 9 different (and sometimes similar!) ways in which the immortal composer started and ended his 9 symphonies.

Maestro Rhodes shares his wealth of classical musical knowledge in this virtual listen-in/lecture, delving into scores and offering excerpts from and commentary on Beethoven’s symphonic works in this immersive experience. There will be ample time for Q & A at the end of the session.

About the Instructor:

American conductor Kevin Rhodes enjoys a wonderfully varied career spanning concerts, opera and ballet across the globe, having conducted in over 15 different countries with more than 50 different orchestras. This season he is celebrating twin 20th Anniversary Seasons as Music Director of Massachusetts’ Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Michigan’s Traverse Symphony Orchestra and his eleventh season as Principal Conductor of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra in Boston in addition to continuing his ongoing relationships with the Opera Houses of Vienna, Milan, and Oslo. www.springfieldsymphony.org/kevin-rhodes-music-director/

From the Heart of the SSO

A Musicians’ Panel

Monday, November 23, 7:30pm

Spend your evening getting to know the wonderful musicians of the SSO. Often all eyes are on the front row, or the principal players, but EVERY member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra plays a vital role in each performance.

We will meet Kathy Andrew, 1st violin; Anne-Marie Chubet, 2nd violin; Elizabeth Rose, violist; Alex Svensen, bass; and Paul Bellino, trombone. Learn how each musician found their way to the stage of Springfield Symphony hall, and what goes on in the heart of the orchestra. There will be plenty of time for questions.

About the Panel:

Kathy Andrew

Violinist

Kathy is a resident of Brattleboro, Vermont. In addition to being a member of the first violin section of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA), she is also Assistant Concertmaster of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, long time Concertmaster of Opera North (NH), Concertmaster of the Juno Orchestra (VT), and a frequent performer in the wide variety of classical music genres and performances in the area. She has performed with the Albany, Berkshire, New Hampshire and Dartmouth Symphonies, taught at Bennington and Keene State Colleges, and continues to perform chamber music with colleagues near and far. In addition to teaching violin, viola and chamber music at the Brattleboro Music Center, she also has a private studio in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Anne-Marie Chubet

Violinist

Anne-Marie is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. She is currently a member of the faculty of Boston College, the All-Newton Music School and the after-school music program in Westwood, Massachusetts, where she resides. A performer on both modern and period violin, Anne-Marie is a member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra, and the Cottage Quartet. She also performs at Trinity Church and Church of the Advent in Boston and with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Coro Allegro and has performed with the Cantata Singers, Masterworks Chorale, Boston Baroque, Boston Cecilia and Festival Scarlatti in Palermo, Italy. At Boston College, Anne-Marie teaches violin, coaches chamber music and is the director of BC Baroque, a student string orchestra performing music from the Baroque period to the present.

Elizabeth Rose

Violist

Violist in SSO since the 80s, Elizabeth has lived and taught violin and viola in the Northampton area while maintaining a freelance career in Boston, Vermont and NY, and raising three extraordinary human beings! As a symphonic and chamber music lover, Liz spent many wonderful summers as a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, Yellow Barn, Kneisel Hall, to name a few. As a Baroque performer enthusiast, Liz played many concerts with Handel & Haydn in Symphony Hall Boston, and was founding violist in the Arcadia Chamber Players. An Oberlin Conservatory graduate, Liz has enjoyed having all three of her children graduate from Oberlin. Currently, as her work is all remote, Liz lives on Martha's Vineyard with her husband and their beloved labradoodle, Rupler.

Alexander Svensen

Assistant Principal Double Bassist

Alexander Svensen is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia and the Yale School of Music, as well as serving as Performer in Residence at Carnegie Mellon University. Alex is currently in his 6th year with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. He has led an active performing career as soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician across the North Eastern United States. He is currently also principal bassist of the Norwalk Symphony (CT) and section bassist for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. In the past, Alex has also performed with the Orchard Park Symphony and American Baroque Orchestra as principal bassist, the Canton Symphony (OH) as assistant principal bassist, the Southern Tier Symphony as bassist and jazz soloist, Connecticut Chamber Virtuosi Orchestra, New Britain Symphony (CT), the Erie Philharmonic (PA), Southern Tier Symphony (NY), Fifth House Ensemble (Chicago), Jasper String Quartet, the Linden String Quartet with pianist Peter Frankl, T-Pain, Hanson, Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling, Il Divo, Video Games Live, and in live broadcast with the NFL. Alex is an active music educator, teaching and conducting young musicians from across Connecticut.

Paul Bellino

Trombonist

Paul Bellino received a Bachelor’s degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music where he was awarded the Remington Trombone Scholarship as well as a Brass Quintet Fellowship Award. Mr. Bellino holds a Master’s degree in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he was awarded a full scholarship and the coveted John Clark award for outstanding accomplishment in Brass Performance. Currently he teaches at Vassar College and Our Lady of Lourdes High School. In addition to having an extensive private trombone studio, Paul Bellino remains active in the community and region as a teacher and performer with hundreds of performances and master classes throughout the country. Recently, Mr. Bellino has performed extensively with the New York Philharmonic as Assistant Principal Trombone and Second Trombone, as second trombonist with “King and I” at Lincoln Center, The Springfield Symphony (MA), and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and as Principal Trombonist with the Peninsula Music Festival (WI).

Entering Bach’s World: the Brandenburg Concertos

with Andrew Leonard

Wednesday, December 2, 7:30pm

In 1717, J.S. Bach landed his dream job, as music director in the court of Prince Leopold of Cöthen. During this period in his life Bach composed many of his best-known instrumental compositions including the Brandenburg Concertos.

In this 90-minute virtual listen-in/lecture, Andrew Leonard will share the events in Bach’s life that led to his acceptance of this position (and what he had to do get it), give an overview of the six Brandenburg Concertos and discuss some of Bach’s influences including Antonio Vivaldi, composer of the Four Seasons. During the presentation participants will sample Brandenburg Concerto excerpts and music that inspired Bach.

You do not need to play an instrument or understand classical musical terms to participate. In addition, after the presentation, attendees will receive a list of links to the YouTube videos used and suggested recordings etc., to learn more about J.S. Bach.