West Windsor Arts Council kicks off its eighth free summer music series at Nassau Park with Sinfonietta Nova, on Saturday, June 23, at 7 p.m. The concerts will be held at Nassau Park Pavilion, between Target and Panera Bread. Plan a picnic dinner, pull up a chair, and enjoy the sounds of summer. The season includes classical, rock, folk, salsa, and an open mic night. Admission is free. In the event of rain the concert takes place under a tent.
“The selection process for our music series begins in January,” says Ted Ross, a committee member. He became involved in the arts council when his wife, Heidi Kleinman, joined the group looking to create a permanent home for the arts in West Windsor.
The committee brainstorms genres and acts to appeal to the audience they hope to attract. It uses the internet to hear clips, watch YouTube postings, and visit performers’ websites. “Fortunately, many of the committee members are active concert goers so they are routinely exposed to local talent,” Ross says. “A lot of debate occurs until we reach a general consensus. The artist is then approached as to availability and price. Hopefully there is a match and the performance date is locked in.”
Ross was raised in West Orange and graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. He is the business manager for Via Research, a medical research company. He moved his family to West Windsor in 1997 after living in Belgium on a work assignment with Wyeth.
Ross and Kleinman also created Phubby, the novel cell phone accessory (www.phubby.com) — and have sold close to 200,000 of them (WW-P News, April 4, 2008). Kleinman, a licensed architect with a practice in West Windsor, is a former West Windsor council woman.
Their daughter, Emma Ross, graduated from High School North in 2003 and received a degree in economics from University of Chicago. She lives in Los Angeles and works in art direction.
Their younger daughter, Nell, graduated from North in 2006. She received a degree from the University of Pittsburgh and was a research assistant with the Colorado School of Public Health’s National Children’s Study. She enters NYU in September as a candidate for a master’s in clinical social work.
Sinfonietta Nova, the West Windsor-based community orchestra under the guidance of Gail Lee, is opening the series for the second consecutive year. The musicians perform classical and modern selections. The orchestra, filled with area musicians and music educators, strives to maintain strong ties to schools. Through fostering music appreciation, the organization provides students the opportunity to see their teachers perform — and give opportunities for some students to play with their teachers in concerts.
Conductor Lee, a West Windsor resident, has a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University. She works with the Seattle Symphony, the Women’s Philharmonic in San Francisco, and in Europe. She was engaged by New Jersey Music Educators Association in 2007 to conduct the New Jersey All State Orchestra. She also served as a lecturer at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and has led Rutgers University Sinfonia and Opera at Rutgers in concerts.
Lee has invited Joseph Hsia, a fifth grade student at Village School, to perform a solo with the orchestra. The concertmaster of the Village Chamber Orchestra, he is the first place winner of the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, American fine Arts Festival, Golden Strings of America, and Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow. Hsia has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, Rutgers University, Westminster Conservatory, and in France and Germany. He will solo with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra in Ocean City on Sunday, August 26.
Are you a ready for a scene of mob cellos? If so get your cello out and bring it to “Cellos en masse.” Suzanne Dicker, a cello player and teacher, is coordinating hundreds of cellos in the area to perform just before intermission.
“Cellists from the orchestra as well as any cellists who are willing and able, will assemble to perform one of the most famous pieces for cello — the Bach prelude in G major from Suite No. 1,” says Dicker. “We’ve spread the word among cello players and teachers, to gather as many cellists as possible, and in unison, play this piece which is normally intended only for a solo cello.” E-mail suzanne@sinfoniettanova.org to be part of the performance.
— Lynn Miller
And the Beat Goes On Music Series, West Windsor Arts Council, Nassau Park Pavilion, West Windsor. Bring chairs or blankets. Free. 609-716-1931 or www.westwindsorarts.org.
Saturday, June 23, 7 p.m. Sinfonietta Nova with classical and modern music.
Saturday, July 7, 7 p.m. The Billy Walton Band with rock and funky blues.
Saturday, July 21, 7 p.m. Open mic for musicians and performers of all ages, solo or with a group. Register online.
Saturday, August 4, 7 p.m. Ray Rodriquez y Swing Sabroso with salsa and Latin music.
Saturday, August 18, 7 p.m. Greg Trooper, a Jersey born singer songwriter, presents folk music inspired by Memphis, Greenwich Village, and Nashville. He has released 11 albums and has had songs recorded by Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, and Vince Gill.
