Monthly Archives: February 2017
Download the Winter Concerts Poster
Download the Winter Concerts poster.
PDF file (1.4 MB)
Artwork by Susan Dunn
New Music Guild Features Gifted Cleveland Flute and Guitar Duo
The New Music Guild, Incorporated’s second concert set of the season will take place at 7pm on February 11, 2017 at the First Congregational Church of Jefferson, Ohio, and at 4pm on February 12, 2017 at Saints Peter and Paul Church, Holy Apostles Parish in downtown Youngstown. The free admission events will feature The Gruca White Ensemble, made up of flutist Linda White and classical guitarist Robert Gruca. Both churches will sponsor receptions in honor of the soloists.
The Gruca White Ensemble
The Ensemble was formed in April 2013 as part of The Music Settlement’s Centennial Celebration and became Ensemble in Residence for this vibrant community music school the following year. The two performers offer a novel concert experience by alternating the modern repertoire with their own arrangements of Latin, jazz, and rock tunes. Their frequent improvisations inspire audiences as much as their performances of classical and modern works.
Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/grucawhiteensemble
Robert Gruca
Robert Gruca performs a wide range of solo, chamber, and concerto repertoire. Recent seasons have included solo concerts in Ohio, Michigan, New York, California, and Canada. He has toured the Eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 under Franz Welser Most and has released two commercial CDs that include modern guitar repertoire and arrangements of works by Handel. He studied under John Holmquist and Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Website: www.robertgruca.org
Linda White
Linda White leads an active musical life as both performer and teacher. She is a founding member of the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra and has performed with many other Cleveland orchestras. An avid chamber musician and champion of contemporary music, she regularly works with the Cleveland Composers Guild playing works by members at venues throughout the Great Lakes region. Linda conducts the Flautrageous Flute Choir and coordinates the afternoon adult Musical Mix and Mingle program at the Music Settlement. She studied with Jeffrey Khaner at
CIM, and Katherine Kemler at the University of Wyoming.
Website: www.lindawhiteflute.com
Concerts
The Duo will play an interesting array of modern works including Welsh composer Stephen Goss’ Autumn Song (2001), based on ancient Chinese poetry about the Great Wall and the people who built it; Bulgarian composer Atanas Ourkouzounov’s Four Legends (2006): including Masquerade, Macedonian Song, Naughty Peter, and Fair; Maine composer Nathan Kolosko’s Nayarit (2010) for flute, bass flute, and guitar, in four movements inspired by the Mexican city of the same name; their own arrangement of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk (1959), and French composer Jaques Casterede’s Allegro from Sonatine d’Avril (1985).
The performers will separate to play two solo works by Youngstown composer, Robert Rollin, Professor Emeritus at YSU’s Dana School of Music. Linda White will play Rollin’s Two Pieces for Solo Flute (1974). The slow and lyrical first movement, Introduction (Idyll) will be followed by the rapid and asymmetrical Country Dance. Robert Gruca will play Three Spanish Sound-Images for Solo Guitar (1998). The three movements are based on the three cadenzas from Rollin’s Guitar Concerto.
New Music Society 