New York Ensemble to Perform Anniversary Concert in Newton

Fifty years is a long time for any musical ensemble to stay together and consistently play innovative, powerful music. The double reed New York Kammermusiker is one such rare group. To celebrate its half-century of musical excellence, the New York Kammermusiker will give a concert on Saturday, September 28th at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 62 Main St., Newton. They will present a full program of Renaissance and Baroque music plus special selections for the evening.

The group's musicians are all current and former members of several symphony orchestras including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. Formed in 1969 by Director Ilonna Pederson, the New York Kammermusiker have dazzled international audiences with their virtuoso approach to fine music. The members of the group combine a repertoire ranging from the early Renaissance through contemporary periods with a charming informal stage manner which invites the audience to learn more about the works performed and the instruments used. Experimental music and folk music, with special instrumentation, are part of the group's standard repertoire.

“We have a history of performing at Christ Episcopal Church in Newton,” said Pederson. “Joe Mello, the church’s musical director, has done a fine job of establishing the church as a venue for classical music and the acoustics are absolutely perfect.”

Members of the New York Kammermusiker have been specially trained by the French organization, Jeunesses Musicales de France to bring music to young audiences. This has shown itself to be effective during appearances in dozens of countries on five continents. The ensemble also gives master classes and seminars on its tours.

Double-reed instruments have a long history dating back several thousand years. Representatives of the double-reed family come from all over the world and have been found in numerous archaeological sites.

Double-reed bands have also been well-documented in writings and pictures through the centuries and were a familiar sight in the late middle ages. In the Baroque era, composers J.S. Bach, Handel and Mozart also wrote extensively for the double-reeds.

The New York Kammermusiker features oboists Jeffrey Hale, John Frisch, and English horn player Ilonna Pederson and bassoonist Leonard Hindell as well as others. The New York Kammermusiker’s highly acclaimed albums: “A Renaissance Tour of Europe” and “A Baroque Celebration” are played regularly on classical radio stations nationwide. A new recording of Celtic Music will be released shortly.

To accommodate the concert audience, admission will be by donation during the concert. A reception will follow the concert. Christ Church is located at 62 Main Street in the heart of downtown Newton. For more information, visit www.christchurchnewton.org.