April 23, 2007

River Concert Series Opens

(St. Mary's City, MD) April 23, 2007- The River Concert Series (RCS) at St. Mary's College of Maryland returns this year for its 9th season with over 25 orchestral and popular concerts. Opening night is Friday, June 15. The concerts and film series continue throughout the festival with main-stage events on consecutive Friday evenings through July 27. The RCS is a program of free outdoor concerts featuring its internationally renowned recording artist music director Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra with other internationally acclaimed artists and bright new talents. Concerts are on the Townhouse Green at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM), overlooking the St. Mary's River, and begin at 7 p.m. Grounds open at 5 p.m. Details are on the Web at www.riverconcertseries.com.

"We have gathered talented musicians from all over the world" said Silberschlag, "Our nightly audiences range from 5-7,000 concertgoers and we endeavor to make available to them music that inspires, entertains, and sometimes amuses."

The 2007 season will open on June 15 will a Spanish theme "Noches in Santa Maria" (nights in Santa Maria.) The Chesapeake Orchestra welcomes Orlando Roman, world-renowned guitarist who won 1st place in The Rising Star competition. The program includes Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio Españo," Rodrigo's "Concierto d'Aranjuez," De Falla's "Three Cornered Hat, Suites I and II" and Ravel's "Bolero."

On June 22, the River Concert salutes the "Captain of the Sea "with selections from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The evening's guest conductor is Larry Vote, a Helen Hayes Award winner. Vote is also the College's provost and professor of music. This night's special guest stars include Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano, a WAMMIE Best Classical Vocalist and Aspen Music Festival win-ner; along with Steve Cramer, tenor and Robert Tudor, baritone.

Things will get a bit wild on June 29 when the evening gallops out "West of the Patuxent". Suzy Bogguss, Grammy-nominated country star, will kick it up with the orchestra. The evening's selections include Joe Parente's "Cowboy Rhapsody," Copland's "Billy the Kid" and the traditional big-bang production, the "1812 Overture." There will be fireworks to kick off the Fourth of July weekend.

New this summer is Saturday Night Jazz on June 30. The Chesapeake Orchestra Big Band hosts Terence Blanchard, Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter.

The Ladies' MANN is the theme on July 6 when the River Concert pays tribute to jazz great Herbie Mann. Guest artists are Giuseppe Nova and Kazutaka Shimizu, Italian and Japanese flutists. Lou Karchin, composer and Fromm Foundation winner, has written a new work for premiere at this year's festival, titled "The Chesapeake Festival Overture." On this evening the orchestra will also perform Kodaly's "Dances of Galanta and "Dvorak's "Symphony No. 8."

The ghost of Shakespeare may appear on July 13, with a Midsummer Night's Dream on the Townhouse Green. Concertmaster José Cueto, acclaimed by STRAD Magazine as "superb in all the particulars" returns as violin soloist to greet old fans and make new ones. Selections for this evening are Mendelssohn's "Midsummer's Night Dream Overture," Castelnuovo-Tedesco's "Violin Concerto No. 2," "I Profeti" and Stravinsky's and "Petrouchka."

Watch out on July 20 when a reverberating Heavy Metal theme brings James Gourlay to the shores of St. Mary's. Gourlay is a Scottish tubist with the famed Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. The night will include Arnold's "Overture to Tam O'Shanter," Vaughn Williams's "Concerto for Tuba" and Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 4."

The final concert of the 2007 season comes on July 27 with a Swashbuckling under the Stars pirate-themed party, highlighting pianist Jeffrey Chappell. Chappell has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore and Houston Orchestras. This tribute to rogues and seafarers includes Debussy's "La Mer," Barber's "Concerto for Piano," Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" variations," Waxman's "Anne of the Indes," Debney's "Cut Throat Island" and Korn-gold's "Robin Hood Suite," "Sea Hawk" and "Overture to Captain Blood." Physical Comedians Tim Marrone and Mark Lohr add to the evening's fun.

The ninth season inaugurates the River Concert Series School which presents master classes for talented college and young professional musicians on trumpet, flute, violin, guitar, trombone, vi-ola, violoncello, piano, and bass. The school will bring internationally acclaimed artists to St. Mary's College to work with students and perform in recital. Scheduled artists include: Jay Friedman, Chicago Symphony principal trombonist; William Nulty, Zurich Opera principal trumpeter; Andrew Balio, Baltimore Symphony principal trumpeter; Jennier Rende, Baltimore Opera principal viola; Susan Orban, cellist; and Brian Ganz and Eliza Garth, pianists.

The River Concert Series is a collaborative partner with the Alba Music Festival based in northern Italy. This summer, two Alba Music Festivals are planned. The dates are May 24 to June 3 and July 20 to August 5. During the annual festival, Italian and American musicians perform in a "Spoleto"-like festival of professional and cross-cultural exchange. Alba is in the northwest region of Italy, about a one-hour drive from Turin. The region is famous for ancient castles, wine, truffles and food. Details are one the Web at www.albamusicfestival.com

The River Concert Series has become the cornerstone of growing arts activities at St. Mary's College of Maryland and throughout St. Mary's County. St. Mary's College of Maryland is ranked one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Kiplinger's. With roots going back to 1840, SMCM is the state's only public honors college, offering the academic excellence of a top private college with the open-ness and affordability of public education.