An Afternoon of Piano, featuring Pianist Chris Reynolds
NEWS CONTACT:
Jennifer Brink, Executive Director
Phone: (518) 793-1348
E-mail: exdir@gfso.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 21, 2025
Glens Falls Symphony to Present “An Afternoon of Piano Music” at First Presbyterian Church in Glens Falls
On March 16 at 4 pm, the Glens Falls Symphony will return to the stage at First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls for the next concert in the 2024-25 season of Music, Movement, and Memory. The orchestra will be joined on stage by solo pianist Chris Reynolds who has been described as playing with “jaw-dropping virtuosity” by Opera News. Chris currently serves on the artistic staff of Deutsche Oper Berlin and has performed at Lincoln Center, and in concert halls around the world. More of Mr. Reynolds’ biography can be read here.
The orchestra and Mr. Reynolds will perform a work by composer Paul Hindemith. Not often performed, "Four Temperaments" is an orchestral work written to accompany George Balanchine’s ballet as the forerunner of the New York City Ballet, then known as The Ballet Society.
Joining the orchestra for Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” will be six piano students from the Capital District Council for Young Musicians. The advanced piano students will play musical chairs as they share the piano benches for a collaborative performance of the piece, long beloved by children for its musical portraits of the animal’s personalities. SUNY Adirondack President, Dr. Kristine Duffy, will narrate the music with Ogden Nash’s famous animal poems, which were written especially for this piece. Following the concert will be a reception with light refreshments and a display of animal art by children from around the world from the World Awareness Children’s Museum’s collection of works from the International Youth Art Exchange.
Program
Charles Peltz, Music Director
Guest Solo Artist: Chris Reynolds, piano
Music:
Theme and Variations “Die vier Temperamente” (The Four Temperaments) by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
“Carnival of the Animals” Camille Saint-Saëns 1835–1921.
Piano Duets: Students from the Capital District Council for Young Musicians. Reading of Ogden Nash Animal Poems by Dr. Kristine Duffy.
“An Afternoon of Piano Music” Events Schedule:
• “Sound+Film” series
Wednesday, March 5 at 2:30 pm.
Free screening of “The Last Repair Shop”
Queensbury Senior Center, 742 Bay Road, Queensbury, NY
Contact: stephanie@seniorsonthego.org to reserve a seat.
About: This Academy-Award-winning film about the musical instrument program in Los Angeles Unified School District is 40 minutes long and will be presented with commentary preceded by Executive Director Jennifer Brink. This film is being shown in celebration of March, which is Music In Our Schools Month.
• Pre-Concert Talk
Sunday, March 16, at 3 pm.
Maestro Peltz presents a free pre-concert talk about the music and the guest artists.
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 400 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
· Concert
“An Afternoon of Piano Music”, featuring pianist Chris Reynolds and students from the Capital District Council for Young Musicians: William Xu, Brian Y. Sun, Sophia Xiao (Teacher - Dr. Young Kim), Juliet McCaughey (Teacher - Maura Hall) and Charles H. Zhang, Sean Cooney (Teacher - Dr. Akina Yura)
Tickets: Adult: $33, Students: $12. All seats are general admission.
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 400 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
Tickets can be purchased by calling (518) 793-1348 or visiting the Symphony’s website here.
· Post-Concert Reception
Meet the guest artist Chris Reynolds, the six young pianists, Maestro Peltz, Dr. Kristine Duffy, and the musicians in the Fellowship Hall for cookies, punch immediately following the concert.
Free to all ticket holders.
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 400 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
Concert Sponsors:
Arrow Bank
New York State Council for the Arts
The Glens Falls Chronicle
The Queensbury Hotel
Finch Paper
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For more information, contact Jennifer Brink at (518) 793-1348 or exdir@gfso.org
Glens Falls Symphony Office (518) 793-1348
Located upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About Glens Falls Symphony
The Glens Falls Symphony began as a community amateur orchestra in 1977 at the then-named Adirondack Community College. The symphony successfully moves into its fourth decade of music-making as a professional orchestra since its incorporation in 1983. Since Maestro Charles Peltz arrived in 2000, the fully professional Glens Falls Symphony has performed a dynamic repertoire, regularly including musical premieres and world-renowned guest artists while expanding musical offerings to include family concerts, summer pops programs, and more. Cited as “one of the great orchestras of our country” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner, the orchestra comprises professional musicians who come from all over the Northeast to perform.