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Ward Melville High School student Joanna Huang is this year’s featured soloist. Photo from Susan Deaver
University Orchestra. Photo from Susan Deaver
University Orchestra. Photo from Susan Deaver

By Melissa Arnold

The Stony Brook University Orchestra invites kids and adults alike on a musical journey with their annual Family Orchestra Concert on the Main Stage of the Staller Center for the Arts ton Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The free hour-long performance allows even the youngest children to experience classical music and see where their imaginations lead. 

This year’s theme, “Musical Splendor in Nature,” showcases the wide variety of orchestral sounds — strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion — in ways that are inspired by natural beauty.

Orchestra conductor Susan Deaver comes up with a new theme each year, then scours her music library to see which songs work best together.

“There are so many pieces influenced by nature, and the decision making process was hard for this one — what to choose?” said Deaver, who’s been with the university since 2000. She also has to consider the length of each piece, the variety of instruments required, and how long ago it was last performed.

Among the more well-known selections is “Jupiter” from “The Planets” by Gustav Holst, which might make the listener feel as though they’re soaring through space and contemplating the majesty of the universe. In “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, kids will enjoy listening for the slow can-can that represents a tortoise and the shrill “hee haw” of donkeys played by violins. Professor of Music Emeritus Peter Winkler will serve as narrator. 

Other songs will bring concertgoers to a field of cornflowers and a forest in Finland covered with snow. 

Along the way, Deaver will take time to talk to the audience informally about each song, introducing the different instruments in the orchestra and explaining how they’re played. As always, there will be a relaxed atmosphere, plenty of surprises and even an opportunity for the audience to participate.

The concert’s featured violin soloist is 16-year-old Joanna Huang, a junior at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket and this year’s Young Orchestral Artist. A few exceptional high school students are invited to perform with the orchestra each year.

Huang and her siblings are the first ones in their family to play an instrument.

“When I was very young, I would sit in on both my brothers’ violin and piano lessons. Watching and hearing them made me say, ‘I want to play, too!’ It was a huge motivator for me,” she said.

Huang’s relationship with the university began as a fifth grader, when she took part in the Young Artists Program and a music summer camp. After that, the desire to perform with the orchestra only grew.

“When she was in eighth grade, Joanna reached out to me and asked about joining the orchestra, and I had to turn her down because she was too young yet, but she was persistent,” Deaver recalls. “She loves piano but is also passionate about the violin, and is a really fantastic performer. We’re excited to have her.”

Huang will play the final movement of Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A, Op. 53. She has already performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, held the coveted position of concertmaster with numerous ensembles, and hopes to study violin performance once she’s finished high school.

“I love the violin and I love collaborating with others in music. I have always had an interest in playing violin with an orchestra or a chamber group,” she said. “Hearing great pieces of music and then having an opportunity to play those masterpieces, as a soloist or in a group, is the best thing that could ever happen to me.” 

The orchestra is comprised of 70 Stony Brook University students with varied music backgrounds and academic majors. Many are heading toward careers in science, technology, engineering or medicine.

“I think for a lot of the students, music has been a part of their lives for so long that they wanted to stay with it, no matter where their careers take them,” Deaver said. “It’s a nice break for them to get away from the pressures of academics for three hours a week [to rehearse]. Some do study music, but others may go on to join community orchestras or just enjoy the arts and share that with their families.”

The Stony Brook University Family Orchestra Concert will be held on the Main Stage at the Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-632-2787.  

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Two dozen Elwood student-musicians have been selected for the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Festival, and will begin rehearsing with their respective SCMEA ensembles in early March.

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School freshmen Margarita Agrawal and Angelica Viviani and sophomores Peter Bell, Aaleshan Jamal Raim, Kim, Olivia LoBue and Emma Rothleder will perform at the SCMEA West Division III concert on March 9 at Huntington High School.

Elwood Middle School seventh and eighth graders Juan Alvarado Escalante, Olivia Charalambous, Gregory Gross, John Haintz, Jewel Li, Joseph Meyers, Ryan Myers, Logan Ouziel and Camille Zreik will perform at the SCMEA West Division II concert on March 10 at Huntington High School.

James H. Boyd Intermediate School fifth graders Ella Zwang Daniel D’Angeli, Nicholas Mandelbaum and Raho Kim and Elwood Middle School sixth graders Victoria Agrawal, Sophie Bagshaw, Nora Brzezinski, and Lukas Davis will perform at the SCMEA West Division I concert on March 10 at Huntington High School. 

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Hiroya Tsukamoto in Concert

The Village of Port Jefferson Dept. of Recreation and the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continue their Winter Tide concert series at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson with a special performance by guitar wizard Hiroya Tsukamoto in the Sail Loft Room (3rd floor) on Friday, February 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. Eclectic, immersive and mesmerizing, the musician takes the audience on an innovative, impressionistic journey filled with earthy, organic soundscapes that impart a mood of peace and tranquility.

Hiroya Tsukamoto is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the guitar shortly after.

In 2000, he received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston and eventually formed his own group, Interoceanico, made up of musicians from different continents including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released three acclaimed records: The Other Side of the World, Confluencia and Where the River Shines.

Hiroya has released three solo albums (Solo, Heartland and Places). He has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note(NYC), United Nations and Japanese National Television(NHK). 

In 2018, he won 2nd place in the International Finger Style Guitar Championship.

$5 donation at the door appreciated. No reservations required. For further information, call 631-802-2160.

 

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Tom Manuel. Photo from The Jazz Loft

Looking for a way to romance your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, will supply the live jazz music, champagne and chocolate. You supply the romance.

The Jazz Loft presents “Here’s to the Ladies,” on Friday, February 16 at 7 p.m., featuring The Jazz Loft All Stars”, with Tom Manuel on cornet/vocals; Dean Johnson on bass; Steve Salerno on guitar; Ray Anderson on trombone and Darrell Smith on drums.

The performance repertoire is songs written for women, about women, to women, by women– It’s all about the ladies when Valentine’s Day comes to the Jazz Loft. All tickets are $40. The event includes a glass of champagne and deluxe chocolate.

“Our Valentine’s Day performances at the Jazz Loft are all about the LADIES– period!” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “So, gentlemen, if you’re looking for someplace that will celebrate them properly, the Loft is the place to be!”

The Jazz Loft is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively Jazz music. For tickets visit: https://www.thejazzloft.org/calendar

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Nicole Zuraitis

Don’t like big crowds? Then the Jazz Loft’s Acoustic in the Main Room series is your ticket to paradise. This jazz music series showcases incredible talent in the Jazz Loft’s main performance room which will be set up to resemble an intimate living room, with spaced out seating. The concerts are conversational, engaging, and intimate and a very special window into the heart and mind of the artists.

Each concert will have a different theme and be paired with wines to complement the music!

“Our Acoustic in the Living Room series is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented singers and musicians that perform regularly at the Loft in a relaxed setting, reminiscent of the New York City Loft scene of the 1950’s which inspired the Jazz Loft’s name,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “If you don’t know any Jazz performers personally to invite into your own living room, then this is the next best thing.”

The Acoustic in the Main Room series calendar:

Thursday, February 9- featuring Carlos Jimenez on flute; Miki Hayama on piano. 

Friday, February 10- featuring Susanna Phillips (soprano with the Metropolitan Opera) and Steve Salerno on guitar. 

Friday, February 23- featuring Rubens De La Corte on acoustic guitar; Steve Salerno on guitar. 

Saturday, February 24- Grammy-nominated singer Nicole Zuraitis on piano and vocals, with Tom Manuel on cornet

All performances are hosted by Tom Manuel and Laura Landor

Tickets will be limited to just 85 people and start at 7 p.m., and feature two sets with a brief intermission.

Tickets for all performances are $40 and start at 7 p.m. and can be purchased at https://www.thejazzloft.org.

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively jazz music. For more information, call 631-751-1895.

 

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A personalized instrument case from Charlie 'Bird' Parker is one of more than 50 items that will be on exhibit at The Jazz Loft in February. Photo from The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, has recently acquired a collection of more than 50 memorabilia items from jazz saxophonist legend Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, that includes master acetates from some of his most important recording sessions; a personalized instrument case; his union card; numerous notes, letters and correspondence; and his Birdland contracts. 

An exhibit highlighting Parker and the newly acquired memorabilia will open in February, along with numerous events and concerts centered on Parker’s music. The concert series will culminate in several performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings,” one of his most well-known recordings. 

A Carnegie Hall poster from 1953 was acquired from the Christie’s of London auction. Photo from The Jazz Loft

Some of the correspondence documents his challenge with the union as he often had his union card revoked for drug offenses. The letters, from him, his agents, promoters, and friends, show Parker’s struggle to stay clean and work. Parker struggled with a heroin addiction and died at the age of 34.

The items were purchased at a Christie’s of London auction which showcased a vast collection of music memorabilia belonging to the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. Watts, who had been a beloved member of the Stones since 1963, passed away in August 2021. 

Watts was a huge jazz fan, with a special love of Charlie Parker. 

“I heard Charlie Parker and that was it. It was all over,” Watts had said.

According to David Green, a childhood friend of Watts, his “collection of jazz memorabilia, which he started in his teens, and built up during his years with the Stones is truly astonishing; it reflects his enduring love of the music and the musicians who made it.”

Tom Manuel, founder and president of The Jazz Loft, said he was determined to bring the collection to The Jazz Loft because Parker had deep roots in New York. Birdland, the famous jazz club located on 52nd Street in New York City, was named for Parker, who had a residency there for four years.

“Charlie Parker holds a place on that shelf that few get to join; Jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ella are all up there. Parker is there because he, along with his bebop colleagues, gave us an entirely new way of speaking the language of Jazz,” Manuel said. 

“Parker’s short-lived life meant that he left us little in terms of personal items related to his career. The sale of the Charlie Watts collection which took him decades to assemble literally was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just knew that The Jazz Loft needed to mobilize all our resources and support to bring Bird home. I’m still in awe that we are now the only Jazz museum in the world with such an extensive collection of items relating to the life and career of one of the most important figures in Jazz — Charlie Parker. It’s beyond description,” added Manuel.

 Through a fundraising campaign called Operation Bring Bird Home, Manuel raised over $150,000 from over 30 donors to purchase the Parker collection. Lead donors were Dawn and Dan Oliveri and Cynthia and David Lippe, with additional support from the Jazz Loft’s Board of Directors.

 “The acquisition of this Charlie Parker collection will be a game changer for The Jazz Loft,” said Cynthia Lippe. “We have amazing collections of artists who are significant to the history of jazz and well-known among jazz aficionados, but we haven’t had such a household name in jazz until now. Everyone knows ‘Bird,’ and we now have one of the largest collections of Charlie Parker memorabilia anywhere!”

Charlie Parker’s Union Card. Photo courtesy of The Jazz Loft

Glenn Mitchell, senior specialist at antiquarian bookseller Peter Harrington of London, said, “I count myself as extraordinarily fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Charlie Watts in building his jazz collection. He was a passionate and informed collector in a range of areas, but deep down it was jazz that was closest to his heart, and in his heart, he held Bird dearest of all.”

“Charlie didn’t buy a single thing that didn’t mean something to him, and his jazz collection was carefully composed of material that takes you there, puts you in the room, brings alive not just the sounds but the whole scintillating variegated culture of jazz. He’d often say to me, ‘when I’m gone, who’s going to care about all this stuff?’, well evidently quite few people! It was a great pleasure to meet Dr. Thomas Manuel ‘backstage’ at the Christie’s sale and to be able to share the stories behind some of Charlie’s trophy pieces; Charlie would have been delighted to see that many of these have now found a home in a place where jazz truly still lives, and the story is being told for generations to come.”

The Charlie Parker collection will be exhibited at The Jazz Loft in February.  The kickoff will include a reception for donors on Feb. 8 at 6:30p.m. and two performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings” featuring Chris Donohue and Dayna Sean Stephens on April 4 and 6 at 7 p.m. and a third performance featuring Chris Donohue on alto saxophonist at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts on April 5 at 7 p.m. In addition, the exhibit will include a screening of Clint Eastwood’s award-winning film Bird on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thejazzloft.org or call 631-751-1895. 

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Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association
Photo from the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association

On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association hosted the Harborfields High School Jazz Band for a focus session on local hero Samuel Ballton.

Born into slavery in Westmoreland, Virginia in 1838, Ballton found his way to freedom three times, finally escaping the South for good with his wife, Rebecca. Arriving in Greenlawn in 1873, Ballton found employment with Alexander Gardiner and was eventually dubbed Greenlawn’s “Pickle King” when he grew and processed more than 1.5 million pickles in a single season.

Harborfields High School Jazz Band Leader Dan Bilawsky, having developed an interest in Ballton’s life, commissioned an original jazz composition about his story and, to learn more about “The Pickle King,” attended a Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in June of 2023. Through discussions with Town of Huntington Historian Robert Hughes at that event came the idea of creating deeper community connections by bringing the jazz band to the GCHA to learn more about local history and, specifically, Ballton.

During the field trip, Hughes spoke to the band and the GCHA created a temporary exhibit complete with photos, memorabilia, and Samuel Ballton’s sword. This visit also served as a part of a larger project for the students—a documentary on “The Pickle King” to be co-produced by the high school’s media journalism students and the jazz band.

“Our plan is to premiere this musical selection at our December concert to tie into the sesquicentennial of Ballton’s arrival in Greenlawn, and then put together a short documentary about ‘The Pickle King’—man and music,” Dan Bilawsky shared.

Hughes and Executive Director Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano were interviewed by the students for this forthcoming production. “The students did a great job, and they were fascinated to hear about Samuel Ballton and his journey in life, from being born a slave to becoming a pioneering figure in Greenlawn,” remarked Fortunato-Napolitano. “At the conclusion of their visit, the band presented our organization with a copy of the score signed by the composer, Jeff Lederer, which is now in the GCHA archives. The jazz band also performed the piece, and it was wonderful!”

The Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association is a non-profit membership organization with a mission to research, collect, record, and preserve artifacts, photographs, fine arts, and ephemera of Greenlawn & Centerport. In addition, they promote the preservation of historic structures and maintain two historic homesteads to provide the public with an opportunity to learn about early life on Long Island.

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Pictured from left, Ray Anderson, Kara Hahn and Tom Manuel. Photo courtesy of The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, presented two local notables with the Jazz Loft Legends in Jazz award on Dec. 2. World-renowned trombonist Ray Anderson and former Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn were both honored by Jazz Loft founder and president Tom Manuel.

The annual Legend in Jazz Award seeks to recognize individuals who have contributed to the art form of Jazz in a deep and meaningful way. The recipients have invested profoundly into the soundtrack of our society and culture and have used the power of music to speak to people’s heart and souls. 

Ray Anderson, who is Distinguished Toll Professor at Stony Brook University, has distinguished himself as a preeminent jazz trombone player who has received international acclaim. Formerly the Director of Jazz Studies at Stony Brook University, Anderson maintains a thriving performance and recording career that has spanned more than three decades. He is a co-founder board of The Jazz Loft and currently serves as vice president.

“I am so grateful to have received this wonderful award from the Jazz Loft,” Anderson said. “And my gratitude extends to all the many people on Long Island and elsewhere, who have supported the abundant performance, education, and preservation that this amazing non-profit institution provides.”

“Ray Anderson has graced the latter 20th century as one of the most innovative and creative voices in Jazz, has gifted us with an incredible body of creative and ingenious musical compositions, and has left a lasting mark as an educator of note,” said Manuel. “We’re beyond honored to have him serve as the Vice President of The Jazz Loft and to have him involved in so many music projects and education workshops and clinics throughout each season at TJL.  The world is absolutely a happier and more spirited place because of Ray!”

Kara Hahn, a former Suffolk County Legislator, is currently New York State Parks deputy regional director for the Long Island region. Hahn entered the county Legislature in 2012 and could not pursue reelection because of 12-year term limits for legislators. During her time as legislator for the 5th District, Hahn was incredibly supportive of The Jazz Loft and its mission to bring live music to the community. 

“Everything is better with great live music!” Hahn said. “Live music brings people together. Music heals people, it hears you, it sees you, it expresses for you what you wish you were articulate enough to say! Music, especially jazz music, soothes our souls and inspires us and energizes us. Houses of music like the wonderful Jazz Loft do the same for communities, and that is why we are so lucky to have Tom Manuel and the Jazz Loft here in our hometown, and I am incredibly honored to be recognized in this way.”

Manuel said “Kara Hahn is akin to our Jazz legends like Norman Granz, Leonard Feather and Nat Hentoff. These folks were stalwart advocates for the American born art form of Jazz and they championed both artists and organizations that today are household names. Jazz has always been a music of what’s ‘new’ and ‘new’ needs friends. Kara has supported the Jazz Loft from day one and through her support TJL now has an annual Swing Into Spring Festival that brings Jazz all throughout our community– to restaurants, businesses and more. She also helped create our outdoor series called Summer SWAP (Stage With A Purpose) that helps bring free concerts to our community and has continued on thanks to sponsorship from Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine. We are so grateful for Kara’s commitment, drive, and dedication to her community. She is without question a gift to us all.”

Past recipients of the Legends in Jazz Award have been bass player Bill Crow and guitarist Gene Bertoncini.

For more information about The Jazz Loft visit https://www.thejazzloft.org

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From left to right: Department of Music Chair Christina (Tina) Dahl, Dr. Brian Margolis, Dr. Rachel Bergeson, scholarship recipient Owen Dodds and Katherine and Bob Bayer (Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Advancement)

By Christine McGrath/ Stony Brook News

When Drs. Rachel Bergeson and Brian Margolis became friends with new neighbors Katherine and Bob Bayer, they had no idea they would participate in a tradition spanning 40 years. Rachel and Brian began attending frequent in-house recitals in the Bayers’ home in St. James, where Stony Brook Department of Music graduate students put their talents on display. The Bayers’ special showcase of Stony Brook talent eventually inspired Drs. Bergeson and Margolis to recognize the impact their friends have had on generations of Stony Brook musicians by establishing an endowed scholarship in the Bayers’ name.

The Katherine and Bob Bayer Endowed Scholarship will now be available to graduate students in the Department of Music, with a focus on those studying piano or string instruments. With this scholarship, these close friends will add their impact to the generous way the Bayers have left their imprint on the Department of Music over the years through those recitals.

Rachel and Katherine have strong ties to Stony Brook: Rachel has spent 40 years working as director of the university’s Student Health Services, while Katherine graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a music degree. So, what led to this nearly lifelong connection, and how did this scholarship come to be?

Supporting Students Through Music Concerts

While Katherine studied at Juilliard’s Preparatory Division as a young child, it was not until many years later that she completed her undergraduate degree in music. After she earned her associate degree after high school, she and Bob got married and had a child. Katherine then began working office jobs and helping Bob with his business. Several years later, she decided that she would love to go back to school. “I enrolled in a part-time bachelor’s degree program in music at Stony Brook. It took me five years to graduate!” she said. Each semester, she was required to take lessons with graduate students. “I learned so much from them and how much pressure they were under to prepare for their recitals at the Staller Center,” she said. “They didn’t have many opportunities to prepare.”

Wanting to give back to the Stony Brook Department of Music after she graduated, Katherine asked Bob if he would be open to hosting concerts in their own home, and he was completely on board. “I wanted to give graduate students an opportunity to play through their programs prior to their recital — a sort of practice performance,” said Katherine.

The in-house recitals started small, with just a few neighbors, including Rachel and Brian, attending, and they have grown to about 30 attendees. The couple hosts up to 10 concerts a year, and at the beginning of the fall semester, Katherine will send a letter to Stony Brook’s music department inviting piano and string students to play. “Usually, within minutes, we get a bunch of bios from the musicians,” said Bob. They sort through the bios and choose students based on availability and the music they will play. Those who play piano can perform on the couple’s restored 1876 Steinway concert grand piano.

The Bayers' restored 1876 Steinway concert grand piano.
The Bayers’ restored 1876 Steinway concert grand piano. (Photo courtesy of Katherine and Bob Bayer)

An Invitation Leads to a Scholarship

Rachel said she and Brian have been attending concerts for years. “We are privileged to have been part of this unique audience at their home for such a long time,” she said. In fact, a discussion at one of these performances is what led them to create their scholarship. “We heard there was little funding for the music department and that they were losing interested students to other institutions that provided scholarships,” Rachel said. “We decided to name it after Bob and Katherine simply because of their generosity and spirit that’s always been out there.”

The Bayers were honored and thrilled for the support when they received the news. “We were shocked! It was so generous of them to do this to support graduate students,” said Katherine.

Students perform an in-house recital at the home of Katherine and Bob Bayer.
Students perform an in-house recital at the home of Katherine and Bob Bayer. (Photo courtesy of Katherine and Bob Bayer)

True Music Appreciation

Both couples’ love of music runs beyond the concerts at the Bayers’ home. They often enjoy shows together at the Staller Center. Bob has loved seeing the Emerson String Quartet perform over the years, while some of Katherine’s favorite memories are seeing the recitals of the students who performed in their home. Rachel said she and her husband enjoy the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra shows. “Brian and I grew up with classical music. My mother was an organist, and I sang in the Messiah choir in college,” said Rachel. “Music has always been something that I’ve enjoyed.”

Both couples met the first scholarship recipient, Owen Dodds, who is working on getting his doctorate in music, earlier this year. “Owen is just delightful,” said Rachel. After receiving the scholarship, he performed his recital in the Bayers’ home — on the restored 1876 Steinway piano. “We were very impressed with him,” said Katherine. “He gave a beautiful performance.”

Owen, who not only performs classical music but also composes it, said the scholarship is helping to pay for his tuition. “I’m incredibly grateful for the support from Rachel and Brian,” he said. “It really makes it possible for me to do what I’m doing.” He added that he can’t wait to perform again at the Bayers’ home. “It was such a wonderful experience, and I hope to keep playing there even after I graduate.”

From left to right: Department of Music Chair Christina (Tina) Dahl, Dr. Brian Margolis, Dr. Rachel Bergeson, scholarship recipient Owen Dodds and Katherine and Bob Bayer
From left to right: Department of Music Chair Christina (Tina) Dahl, Dr. Brian Margolis, Dr. Rachel Bergeson, scholarship recipient Owen Dodds and Katherine and Bob Bayer (Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Advancement)

Inspiring Music

The Stony Brook Department of Music is able to attract talented students due to its extraordinary faculty, including Gilbert Kalish, leading professor of piano and head of performance activities, and Department of Music Chair Christina (Tina) Dahl. “Our graduate students go on to have successful music careers — we’ve had quite a few students win a Fulbright,” Tina said. “Stony Brook has a great history of placing music students in good academic jobs. Some graduates joined music faculties at Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music and Yale.”

Tina is grateful to have performed at the Bayers’ home herself as a music student, saying, “We recruit some of the most talented artists to Stony Brook because of student scholarships. Scholarship support not only allows the students to pursue their musical aspirations but also allows the music department to continue growing into a thriving musical community.”

Once students start studying music, being around other musicians is important. “Stony Brook is great because Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) students are all around you,” Owen said. “Being in the music community is so important to growing personally and professionally. We inspire each other.”

Rachel said she and Brian truly believe in the importance of music and the arts in the community. The couple is already considering supporting another scholarship or a Staller Center award in the future.

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Participants from last year's concert. Photo from Daniel Kerr/All Souls Church

Historic All Souls Church, 61 Main Street, Stony Brook invites the community to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas as it joins with eleven other faith communities to present its annual Lessons and Carols Christmas concert on Saturday, December 9 at 6 p.m.  

Heidi Schneider will be the featured soloist this year.

The free concert will feature Stony Brook University soprano Heidi Schneider and tell the story of the Nativity in scripture and song.  Heidi’s solos will include “Ave Maria,” “Silent Night,” and “Away in the Manger.” 

Local guitarist Bill Clark and his Brave Trio will also perform “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” “Hallelujah,” and “What Child Is This?”All attending will be invited to sing “Come All Ye Faithful” and “Hark the Herald Angels” as All Souls organist Dan Kinney plays the church’s 1855 Tracker Organ.

The readings will be done by clergy and lay people from The Stony Brook School, Caroline Church, Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, Messiah Lutheran Church, St. Gerard Majella RC Church, Stony Brook Community Church, the Three Village Church, Religious Society of Friends in St. James, the Little Church of Smithtown Landing, St. James RC Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook.

There will be a 15-minute intermission and refreshments will be served. All Souls Church collects food each week to feed the hungry at the St Gerard Majella’s food pantry. Please bring a can of food to donate (“Lend a hand, bring a can”). 

Please call 631-655-7798 for more information.

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