Community Corner

Town-Wide Orchestra Festival April 30

The festival will feature jazz violinist Randy Sabien.

Simsbury Friends of Music and Performing Arts presents the 2011 town-wide orchestra festival featuring jazz violinist Randy Sabien. Simsbury students and Sabien will perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at the auditorium, 34 Farms Village Road.

More than 100 talented orchestra students (grades 4 through high school) will perform a variety of Sabienʼs original compositions at the festival.

“The annual town wide orchestra festival, generously funded by the Friends for Music and Performing Arts, helps to create a sense of community amongst the students in grades four through twelve involved in their musical discipline,” said Angela Griffin, director of Simsburyʼs music and performing arts department. “It expands their preconceived musical borders and opens the door to new horizons. It is an extra special fun treat this year for our string students to learn a new musical skill set of playing jazz.”

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Sabien is an award-winning violinist and fiddler as well as a highly respected musician and string educator. He is the author of several string method books based on jazz performance for students. His recordings are predominantly jazz with a couple of albums that cover country swing, roots blues and rock and roll from the sixties.

Sabien has been a frequent guest on “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Austin City Limits.” He also plays regularly as a jazz violin, guest soloist with symphonies across the country.

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A passionate team of strings teachers has been planning and working on the festival since September to ensure a positive experience for all the students. Teachers JoAnna Ferrari, Audrey Lesieur, Linda Beers, and Refik Ismail have met monthly to fine-tune education and details including jazz fundamentals, rehearsals, and concert repertoire.

“The town-wide orchestra provides a unique opportunity for Simsbury string students to work together as a collective group,” Griffin said. “The younger students will have the opportunity to work with older students and professionals, and the older students will have the opportunity to work with professionals and model their success for younger students.”

The town-wide orchestra will perform on Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Simsbury High School auditorium, 34 Farms Village Rd. Tickets are $5 for adults, free for seniors and students under the age of 19. Tickets may be purchased at the door, starting 30 minutes prior to the performance.

For more information on the festival, check out the music and performing arts website at www.simsbury.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=1628 or call 860-658-0451, x991.


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