Friday, April 17, 2009

Busy Weekend (Part 2)

Saturday April 18 and Sunday April 19 offers residents and visitors several choices of musical entertainment.

The Annual Elizabeth Verveer Tishler Piano Competition Recital takes place Saturday at 2 p.m. in The Russell House, 350 High Street. Betty Tishler is a true patron of the arts, especially classical keyboard. This year's recital features finalists Andrew Chung (class of 2011), Nicholas Luby ('11) and Julie Zhao ('10.) A reception follows the concert, all of which is free and open to the public.

Ms. Tishler's husband, Professor Max Tishler (1906-1989), taught at Wesleyan after a distinguished career at Merck & Company (he led research teams whose work was of enormous importance for human health as well as a microbiological group that developed fermentation processes for actinomycin D, streptomycin, and penicillin. In addition, his invention of the animal-health drug sulfaquinoxaline made possible a great expansion of the poultry industry and created overnight a new field for research--an event of great magnitude for agriculture - read more about his many accomplishments by clicking here.)

The First United Methodist Church, 24 Old Church Street, presents its Annual Spring Organ Concert Saturday at 7 p.m. Scheduled to perform is Joshua Brown. For more information, call 346-3689.

The Buttonwood Tree welcomes The Erasmus Quintet, an offshoot of the New Haven Improvisers Collective, for a 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday. Composed of guitarists Jeff Cedrone and Bob Gorry, saxophonist Paul McGuire, percussionist Steve Zieminski, and Adam Matlack (accordion, clarinet), the EQ creates music that blends many elements, including jazz, classical, "free" improvisation and sonic explorations, into an aural "mash" that is challenging and rewarding. To hear an excerpt of the ensemble's music, click here. To find out more about the NHIC and its many members, go to www.nhic-music.org/.



Sunday morning at 11 a.m., "folk crooner" Dave Downs plays his monthly gig at Brew Bakers, 169 Main Street. Downs plays popular "standards", folk music, and his own fine compositions. Imagine the Mills Brothers meeting Woody Guthrie and Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) - that's part of what Downs' music reminds me of.

The Greater Middletown Chorale, Joseph D'Eugenio, music director and conductor, joins forces with the Wesleyan University Concert Choir for a 4 p.m. show Sunday in Crowell Hall. The highlight of the program will be Schubert's "Mass in G-Major" featuring both ensembles, selected soloists and a 22-member string orchestra. Also, there will be music by Brahms, Mozart and Telemann. For ticket information, call the University Box Office at 685-3355 or go to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.



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