The final free concert of the 2009 Summer Noontime concert series at St. John's Episcopal Church will be held on Monday, August 20. Featured performers are New York-based violinists Emily Kalish and Abigale Reisman in a program of music by Bartok, Hindemith and traditional fiddle tunes.
Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat during the concert. St. John's will provide drinks and cookies. The concert has no admission charge, but donations to offset expenses are welcome.

Emily Kalish grew up in Great Barrington, where she was a student of Alla Zernitskaya. She holds a Bachelor's of Music in violin performance from The Hartt School, where she studied with Katie Lansdale, and a Master's of Music in violin performance from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Burton Kaplan. An avid chamber musician, she has attended Charles Castleman's Quartet Program and worked with members of the Colorado, American, Ying, Brentano, Borromeo, Orion and Miami Quartets. She is a member of the Berkshire Symphony and the Westchester Chamber Orchestra, and is on the faculty of the Enchanted Garden Conservatory in Ridgefield, CT. This past summer she was a fellow at the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO. She is the first violinist in a string quartet that will spend next three months performing aboard the cruise liner Zaandam on its voyages to Alaska and Hawaii.

Abigale Reisman started her violin studies at age 5 in Atlanta. When she was 15 she joined the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra where she played for two years. She spent her senior year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Abigale currently studies violin at the Manhattan School of Music with Burton Kaplan. She has recently become very interested in Klezmer music and all types of fiddling, and hopes to pursue these newfound passions.

This is the final concert on the 2009 series - we look forward to seeing you next year!

loadbang in concert!

Members of loadbang performing at St. John's Episcopal Church on Monday, August 10. The concert was part of the annual Summer Noontime concert series, held on Mondays in July and August. The concert included works by well-known composers John Cage and David Lang; new works by emerging composers Ya-Jhu Yang, Alexandre Lunsqui and Scott Worthington; free improvisation by the group members.

About loadbang:
Baritone Jeffery Gavett, trumpeter Andy Kozar, bass clarinetist Alejanro T. Acierto and trombonist Will Lang met as part of the first class of Manhattan School of Music's Contemporary Performance program, and have been playing together ever since. In the past year they have premiered more than 15 works for their unique instrumentation (bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone voice), including several work written by members of the band, and a new arrangement by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang. They also perform works for indeterminate ensemble, including such New York School classics as Brown's December 1952 and Cage's Four6.

Not content to dwell solely in the realm of notated music, loadbang is known for its searing and unpredictable improvisations, exploring the edges of instrumental and vocal timbre and technique. Most recently they made their first trip to Boston for a joint show with ai ensemble and to Philadelphia to perform as a part of the Sci-Fi Philly series. They have performed along side musicians and ensembles such as So Percussion, Lukas Ligeti, and Newspeak. Their recent performances in New York include appearances at The Tank, The Stone, The 1st Annual New York New Music Bake Sale, and an all John Cage evening at the Gershwin Hotel.

To hear samples of their music, and find out more about the group, visit www.myspace.com/loadbangmusic

Nick Revel, Violist

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown continues its Summer Noontime Concert Series on Monday, August 3 with a performance by New York-based violist Nick Revel and local pianist Scott Bailey of music by Bach, Vaughan Williams and Bruch. The concert will begin at noon and end by 12:45. Audience members are welcome to bring a bag lunch and St. John’s will provide drinks and cookies. Admission is free; donations to help offset expenses are welcome.

Nick Revel is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he studied viola with John Graham and had chamber music coaching with the Ying Quartet. He lives in New York City where he is a freelance performer, teacher, composer and improviser. He has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, the Glimmerglass Opera House and many others. He is a member of the Allentown and Norwalk Symphonies.

Pianist Scott Bailey is staff accompanist/vocal coach at Westfield State College and Director of Choral Activities at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA. He has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works as a freelance accompanist and teacher throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as Berkshire County. He is the music director at the First Congregational Church of North Adams, United Church of Christ, and is coordinator of their North County Music Series, a concert series featuring local and emerging musicians from Berkshire County and beyond.

The concert series will continue on Mondays from August 3 – August 17. Featured performers include Loadbang, a contemporary ensemble from New York City; duo-violinists Emily Kalish and Abigale Reisman.