From Berks Sinfonietta
Berks Sinfonietta rings in the new year with “Soloists A Round,” a program featuring three homegrown musicians presented on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 4 p.m., at Atonement Lutheran Church, 5 Wyomissing Blvd. The performance continues the ensemble’s mission of creating music that brings people together using locally sourced musicians who aim to reimagine classical music in Berks County.
The concert highlights the ensemble’s signature blend of familiar masterworks and new musical discoveries, featuring:
- Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon in B-flat Major – Mozart’s first wind concerto, written when he was only 18 years old, featuring soloist Joshua Schairer.
- Mozart’s Concerto for Flute No. 1 in G Major – Featuring soloist Suzanne Francis.
- Ruth Gipps’ Jane Grey, Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra – Featuring soloist Kathleen Bahena.
- David Diamond’s Rounds for String Orchestra – A contemporary of Stravinsky and Ravel, American composer David Diamond composed this piece in 1944 to distract from the dark days of WWII.
Soloist Joshua Schairer, Ph.D., is excited to perform one of the most well-known concertos for the bassoon. “I auditioned for my bachelor’s playing the third movement of this work – the most fun to play, in my opinion,” Schairer noted. “While this concerto is one of the most often performed for the instrument, the bassoon is rarely heard as a solo instrument. I am hoping that by seeing the bassoon in front of the orchestra, it will draw more young people to the instrument.”
After picking up the bassoon at age 10, Dr. Schairer began studying with Dr. Steve Hanna at age 15 and continued his studies first at the University of Northern Colorado and later at the Boyer School of Music at Temple University in Pennsylvania. He has performed with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Symphony (CO), Rochester Philharmonic (NY), and several orchestras in the greater Philadelphia area. As a dedicated educator, Dr. Schairer has taught at Millersville University, Ocean County College, and Salem State University. He currently runs a private studio based in Oslo, Norway, and specializes in teaching reed-making to students of all ages.
Tickets and admission
Tickets are available online and at the door. For pricing, directions, and season subscriptions, visit berkssinfonietta.org/concert/soloists-a-round.
About Berks Sinfonietta
Founded in 2014, Berks Sinfonietta is a nonprofit chamber orchestra dedicated to innovative, engaging programming. Their homegrown musicians bring people together. Join them as they reimagine the concept of the orchestra.
