Category: Media Coverage

By Warren Gerds • January 31, 2010

“Feb. 10: Brown County Civic Music Association will host a concert in Ralph Holter Auditorium of Green Bay West High School.
Made up of volunteers, the association has booked cultural attractions dating to 1927, usually five concerts a season. Members do not play in the concerts.

Performing Feb. 10 are the Philharmonia of the Nations and pianist Jon Nakamatsu. This is a big concert for Civic Music.

From Europe, Philharmonia of the Nations is made up of 87 players from 40 countries. Nakamatsu, an American, is a past winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition”

The full story is available on the Press-Gazette website:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20101310678

By Warren Gerds • May 9, 2010

“Brown County Civic Music Association is looking forward to its 84th season of bringing to Green Bay an array of artistic talent from around the world. But first, it will close its 83rd season Saturday with a performance by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will be narrated by Lori Skelton, a classical music announcer for Wisconsin Public Radio. Civic Music and the network have cross-promoted each other a lot lately, and Skelton’s appearance is another example. Stuart Chafetz will return to lead the Milwaukee Symphony, with which he is resident conductor. He also heads the Maui Pops Orchestra.

Saturday’s program will be classical: “Overture to ‘Don Giovanni'” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Symphony No. 4 (‘Italian’)” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Overture to ‘The Barber of Seville'” by Gioacchino Rossini, “Espana, Rhapsody for Orchestra” by Emmanuel Chabrier, “Excerpts from ‘Carmen’ Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet and “Capriccio Espagnole, Opus 34″ by Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov.”

Full story available here:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100509/GPG04/5090600

By Warren Gerds • October 3, 2010

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin earned two standing ovations Saturday night to get another season of Brown County Music Association concerts off to a solid start.

The 17 musicians from Moscow poured splendor into Ralph Holter Auditorium of Green Bay West High School.

Youth was present. Many of the players seem to be in their 20s.

Most impressive on the evening was “Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Two female violinists from the orchestra stood out front and dove into the energy and rich tapestry piece. Seeing how they led the orchestra and how they finessed where their instruments rose, raced and interacted was fascinating. That was the only piece not led by founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky, who conducts without a score. His attention to detail reaps rewards all around…

To read the review in its entirety, go to:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101003/GPG0704/10030614/Warren-Gerds-column-Moscow-ensemble-brings-crowd-to-its-feet-twice

Press-Gazette • October 23, 2010

For its second concert of the season, Brown County Civic Music Association will present the internationally known Tamburitzans.

The 32-member ensemble from Duquesne University performs the traditional music, songs and dances of Eastern Europe under the direction of managing director Paul Stafura.

Read the complete article at: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201010230407/GPG04/10230424

By Warren Gerds • greenbaypressgazette.com • November 7, 2010

Dazzling bursts of energy, songs that haunt, and humor and elaborately costumed folk exotica from Eastern Europe. That doesn’t sound like a collegiate performance group. But it is: The amazing Tamburitzans.

The 32-member pride of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh continues to impress in its 74th year.

The troupe’s 35-state tour this season Saturday night stopped at Ralph Holter Auditorium of Green Bay West High School as part of the Brown County Civic Music Association series.

In 25 sections, the students colorfully brought forth songs, dances, looks and emotions of such countries and regions as Croatia, Serbia, Bavaria, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, Hungary, Greece and Moldavia.

Read the complete article at: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201011070407/GPG04/11070675