Green Bay Press Gazette: Civic Music to host European orchestra Feb. 10

Green Bay Press Gazette • January 24, 2010

“Brown County Civic Music Association expects its Feb. 10 concert will be a highlight of its season as it hosts an 87-piece orchestra from Europe along with an award-winning pianist.

The concert features the Philharmonia of the Nations and pianist Jon Nakamatsu, the most recent American winner of gold medal in the famed Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Civic Music has presented concerts by visiting classical artists since 1927.”

The full story is available on the Press-Gazette website:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20101240679

Warren Gerds column: Sorting out the classical music laundry list

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

Green Bay Press Gazette: Pianist hits the ‘wow’ note

Nakamatsu takes difficult piece on thrilling coaster ride
Concert Review by Warren Gerds • Green Bay Press Gazette • February 12, 2010

Shining review from the Green Bay Press Gazette’s Warren Gerds:

“Wow. It’s rare that a winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition appears in Green Bay, so hearing one is … wow.

Jon Nakamatsu, an American who won the famed competition in 1997, has advanced to greater performance levels.

He took on reputedly one of the most difficult concertos in standard repertoire Tuesday night in a Brown County Civic Music Association series concert with the Philharmonia of the Nations in Ralph Holter Auditorium at Green Bay West High School.”

The full story is available on the Press-Gazette website:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102120548

Green Bay Press Gazette: Civic Music Association will host trio in guest concert Saturday

Green Bay Press-Gazette • March 21, 2010

“The trio Intersection will present the fourth concert of the season Saturday for Brown County Civic Music Association.

The trio includes cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, violinist Laura Frautschi and pianist John Novacek.

Cooper performed previously in Green Bay a number of times as a member of the popular Quartetto Gelato.

Intersection plays romantic, salon-style music, and its players are known for their demonstrative way of playing, said Roger Bintz, who helps book the series for the all-volunteer organization.”

The full story is available on the Press-Gazette website:
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100321/GPG04/3210464/

Press Gazette: Brown County Civic Music Association mixes familiar, new for 84th season

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

Press Gazette: Moscow ensemble brings crowd to its feet – twice

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: Brown County Civic Music hosts famed folk ensemble

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

Press Gazette:Tamburitzans stir up splashy swirls of energy

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

Press Gazette: New season includes collaboration

by Warren Gerds • greenbaypressgazette.com • April 21, 2011

Action started when Brown County Civic Music Association booked famed pianist Lilya Zilberstein for a concert with her sons.

Zilberstein asked Roger Bintz, who books performances for Civic Music, if any other local organization might be interested in presenting her to make her flight from Hamburg, Germany, more cost-efficient.

Bintz lives four doors away from Mike Stefiuk, executive director of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. Bingo.

Civic Music will present Zilberstein in concert with her sons on Nov. 11.

The Green Bay Symphony will feature Zilberstein as guest artist in its Nov. 12 concert.

Visit the Green Bay Press Gazette’s site for Warren Gerds’ complete introduction to the 2011-2012 season schedule.