Local Student Composer In Sage City Symphony’s Annual Youth Concert

On Sunday, March 20, at 4 pm, the Sage City Symphony, under the direction of Michael Finckel, will present its Annual Youth Concert at Bennington College. The concert will be at Greenwall Auditorium in the VAPA Building on the Bennington College Campus.
In 2009 Music Director Michael Finckel initiated a young composers program with students from area high schools. In its third year, this unusual program, sponsored by Sage City Symphony, is intended to introduce students to the techniques involved in writing music for a full sized symphony orchestra. This year the program is being mentored by John Eagle. John has met with students individually and in groups to work on technical issues such as instrument ranges and scoring techniques and on creative topics such as instrument color and other ways to experiment with sound. Once each of the students completed a short work, they were given assistance with orchestration and creating the score and parts. On March 20, these young composers will be given the rare opportunity of hearing their works performed. The concert will be recorded and students will be able to use the CD as part of their college application process.
Five students have completed the program.  They are Zack Robarge (Pittsfield High School), Marc Edwards, Christopher Lindberg and Jamison Moore Gates (Long Trail School) and Prisila Yeonsoo Kim (Hoosac School). John Eagle is active as a composer, performer (French horn and piano) and teacher. In 2009, he graduated from Bennington College, concentrating in music and philosophy, and is presently Composing Intern at the College.
Also scheduled for March 20, Sage City Symphony will perform movements from three violin concertos. The soloists are Melany Piech in the 3rd movement of the Bruch concerto in G minor, Jennifer Schwartz in the 2nd movement of Dvorak’s concerto in A minor and Emily Call playing the 1st movement of Mendelssohn’s concerto in E minor. All these young women are seniors at Bennington College and have played with the orchestra since their freshman year.
The concert is dedicated and sponsored in memory of Louis Calabro (1927-1991), founder of Sage City Symphony.  A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music in NYC, Lou taught composition at Bennington College from 1955 until his death in 1991. Here he composed for the musicians he encountered on the faculty and in the community and was an inspired teacher who brought humor, insight and a deep ability to communicate ideas to his students.
Additional information about this concert or membership in the orchestra may be obtained by calling the orchestra manager, Gail Smith at 802-447-2149 or logging onto the orchestra’s website at www.sagecitysymphony.org.
Admission is not charged, but the orchestra does have expenses and donations are gratefully accepted at the door.