Newburgh Chamber Music opens it’s 2024-2025 season, “A Tapestry of Music,” on Nov. 3 with chamber musicians of the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra. The family-friendly concert begins at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary at Kol Yisrael, 290 North St., in Newburgh.
The concert will feature a wide range of classic and contemporary works, performed by three sections of HVSO musicians: strings, winds, and brass. “The program includes Sergei Prokofiev’s dramatic “Peter and the Wolf” for wind ensemble, plus narrator, a beautiful brass quintet by Ingolf Dahl, and some lively string quartet music by Schubert, Jessie Montgomery, and Britten,” said Marka Young, NCM’s artistic director.
“Strum” is one of the contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery’s most popular works. She drew on “American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement” for inspiration.
“Listening to music in the same room in which it is performed is a gift,” said Young. “All the recording equipment and good stereo systems cannot replace the feeling of sound waves coming at you in a live concert, the feeling of experiencing musicians playing live.”
The musicians of the HVSO have been bringing music to the Hudson Valley for over 90 years. They played together first as the Dutchess County Philharmonic Orchestra, and then as the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.
The orchestra, like so many other arts institutions in the Hudson Valley, went dark during the pandemic and never fully recovered, said Young, who is also the assistant concertmaster of the HVSO. But it refused to disappear, and in May 2024, it reorganized as the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra, renewing its commitment to community, education, and bringing inspiring performances to the Hudson Valley region.
The aim of NCM, founded in 2000 by Carole Cowan and her husband Philip, is to bring a rich variety of live classical music to audiences in the Hudson Valley. Its 2024-2025 theme, “A Tapestry of Music,” complements those goals. Following the HVSO’s November concert, the season continues with the baroque music of Parthenia, Consort of Viols, on March 30, and classical and contemporary music of Latin America on April 25 performed by the Dali Quartet.
NCM season tickets can be purchased at newburghchambermusic.org.
Tickets for the Nov. 3 concert are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $10 for students. They are available at the door (cash or check only) or at newburghchambermusic.org.
The performance is made possible by a generous donation from the estate of Prof. Mary Jane Corry. The harpsichordist, friend of NCM, and beloved faculty member of SUNY New Paltz’s music department died in 2022.
More information on NCM and its season can be found at newburghchambermusic.org.