COVID-19 Concert to Include Premiere Commission

Concert will include the premiere of Newington Composer Jonathan Kane’s commissioned work in honor of COVID-19 victims

HARTFORD, CT - Next month the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra will present a concert of classic and new work in memory of those who lost their lives to COVID-19. COVID Victims Remembrance, a new work from Newington composer Jonathan Kane, will premiere at the concert. Kane’s piece, commissioned by the Virtuosi, is one of the first original orchestral compositions created to honor the nearly one million people worldwide who have died from the virus.

“In the time of COVID-19, we still need to lead as artists. That is our greatest challenge. Through the healing power of music, we will try to give presence to the pain and suffering of COVID-19 with a special concert next month in memory of those who have lost their lives to the virus,” said Adrian Sylveen, Artistic Director of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. “I consider Jonathan to be a very talented composer and a gifted artist. He is one of these people who can, in very straightforward ways, establish a link between the music and the people. Jonathan can also be surprising in the ways he finds new techniques and explores new sounds, so there is always a welcome mystery to his work."

The concert will also include a classic work written during a time of crisis - Béla Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra, the composer's last work written just before he fled Hungary and immigrated to the United States during the outbreak of World War II. Sylveen will lead the Orchestra and also play principal violin.

Performances will be held on Sunday, October 11, at Trinity-On-Main in New Britain at 3 p.m. and on Sunday, October 18, at SS Cyril and Methodius Church in Hartford at 6 p.m. Because Connecticut statewide mandates currently limit the number of attendees at indoor events, only a small number of tickets will be made available for each performance. To inquire about tickets, please contact info@thevirtuosi.org. Performance dates and times are subject to change.
The concert performances will be broadcast live on the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra’s Facebook page and will also be made available for viewing on YouTube. Suggested donations of $25 are welcome at http://thevirtuosi.org/donate/.

Jonathan Kane is a composer and violist from Newington, Connecticut. He began his musical studies at age seven with violin lessons at the Hartt School Community Division at the University of Hartford. He continued at the Hartt School until graduating high school, also taking lessons in composition, viola, and music theory, as well as playing in the Connecticut Youth Symphony. Kane attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, as well as Eastman’s “parent” institution, the University of Rochester, getting a Bachelor of Music in Composition and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Since graduating, Kane has performed with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and taught viola and music theory, as well as continuing to compose, arrange, and perform elsewhere. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in composition at the Boston Conservatory. In addition to the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, which premiered his orchestral work Shesh in 2017, Kane has written commissioned pieces for the Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet. His musical style brings together diverse influences, including the music of past composers such as Bach, Debussy, Shostakovich, and Hindemith and living composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina.

Adrian Sylveen enjoys a performing career in the United States and in Europe. He serves as Artistic Director of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and the Classical Orchestra of Pila in Poland. He is also a frequent guest conductor with several leading Polish orchestras. An active violin soloist, as well as conductor, he has performed concerts and recitals in Poland, Switzerland, Germany, former Soviet Union, and the United States. Sylveen graduated with distinction from the Paderewski Music Academy in Poznan, Poland, and holds Master and post-Master degrees from the Yale University School of Music. He is a winner of prizes and awards at competitions in Poland and in the United States and has participated in several international Festivals such as Weimar, Lancut and others. Sylveen was awarded several prestigious scholarships and awards, including the “Primus Inter Pares” Award given by the President of the Republic of Poland. He was awarded permanent United States residency for “Extraordinary Abilities in the Arts”.

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017. The state’s premier professional chamber orchestra is dedicated to presenting both traditional and contemporary classical chamber works to the public. The Orchestra, led by Founder and Artistic Director Adrian Sylveen, continues to grow in size and repertoire, presenting approximately 35 times a year in many major performing arts centers throughout Connecticut and New York. The organization consists of 27 professional musicians and an administrative staff of four.
The mission of the Orchestra is to preserve and perpetuate the great traditions of orchestral music through the expansion of its public performance season, its education series, and by showcasing the excellence of regional and international talent. In its choice of repertoire, special attention is given to music from Eastern Europe.
The Orchestra collaborates on many projects with the New Britain Chorale, Central Connecticut State University, Middletown Concert Association, New York’s Chopin Foundation, and others. The Orchestra co-produces fully-staged opera productions with Connecticut Lyric Opera. In addition to performances, the Orchestra enriches the community by providing free tickets to local schools and hosting lectures on orchestral music. A frequent guest at the Kosciusko Foundation’s Chamber Music Series, in 2003 the Orchestra was invited to perform at the Gala Concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s papacy.