Music Mountain Announces 2018 Season

Chamber music aficionados along with Beethoven lovers will want to mark their calendars for the start of Music Mountain’s concert season! America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival will kick off on June 10^th with an extremely special summer event – the Complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle performed by the acclaimed Shanghai String Quartet. The technical and emotional scope of the Beethoven cycle makes it the ultimate challenge for a string quartet. 

The Chamber Music Series will also feature Music Mountain premieres and welcome first-time guest artists and returning favorites. Concerts are scheduled for a 16-week season (through September 23^rd) and are dedicated to the memory of Music Mountain’s late impresario and Music Director Nicholas Gordon.  “Working together with Nick Gordon for a year was an honor and a privilege,” stated Music Mountain artistic director, Oskar Espina-Ruiz. “Nick Gordon’s knowledge was encyclopedic and his mentorship went a long way towards preparing me as new artistic director.”

The 89^th Season launches with brio on Sunday, June 10^th (3PM) with the Opening Concert & Reception featuring the outstanding Shanghai String Quartet performing the Beethoven Cycle Program #1:  String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 127; String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18 #2; and String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 #3. Renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique and multicultural innovations, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. The celebrated quartet has re-arranged its international touring schedule to perform the Beethoven Cycle in six concerts at Music Mountain this summer, on consecutive Sundays from June 10 to July 8 and returning on September 9 for a 6^th rousing concert with a celebratory reception.

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This is a one-of-a-kind season,” stated Oskar Espina-Ruiz. “In addition to the Beethoven Cycle, it includes the complete set of three rarely performed and brilliant Beethoven piano quartets from 1785; the complete Mozart “Prussian” string quartets, a set of three, which were the last string quartets Mozart composed; the great piano quintets by Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak, Dohnanyi and Shostakovich; the Mozart and Beethoven quintets for piano and winds featuring Peter Serkin; Shostakovich string quartet numbers 3, 7 and 8; and beloved master works such as Tchaikovsky’s String Sextet “Souvenir de Florence;” Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” and “Rosamunde” string quartets, and the Cello Quintet in C Major; as well as Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet. (Complete chamber season listed below.)

The 89^th Season features Music Mountain debuts by two outstanding quartets: the American String Quartet—resident quartet at the Aspen Music Festival since 1974 and the Manhattan School of Music since 1984—and the Escher String Quartet—in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Three new guest artists join the ranks of exceptional Music Mountain performers: 2017 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, Piano, on July 15; legendary cellist of the Cleveland String Quartet, Paul Katz, on August 26; and the incomparable Robert McDonald, Piano, recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern and other distinguished instrumentalists.

Exceptional artists returning in 2018 include Penderecki String Quartet, Harlem String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Amernet String Quartet, St. Petersburg Piano Quartet, Cassatt String Quartet, Ariel String Quartet, Victoria Schwartzman, Piano; Fei-Fei Dong, Piano; Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano; and Peter Serkin, Piano; together with highly acclaimed artists Chauncey Patterson, Viola; Ronald Thomas, Cello; Jihyun (James) Kim, Oboe; Caitlin Beare, Clarinet; Shannon Hagan, Horn; Adam Romey, Bassoon. The 2018 season closes with the Music Mountain debut of artistic director Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Clarinet, on September 23.  

About Music Mountain

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Music Mountain is supported, in part, by the Connecticut Commission On Culture & Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets

Specially Priced Concerts are as Follows: Tickets for the 89^th Season Opening Concert & Reception with the artists featuring Shanghai String Quartet on Sunday, June 10 (3PM) are $75. Tickets for the Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception with the artists on Sunday, September 2 (3PM) with Peter Serkin, Piano, Jihyun (James) Kim, Oboe, Caitlin Beare, Clarinet, Shannon Hagan, Horn, and Adam Romey, Bassoon, are $75. Tickets for the final Beethoven Cycle Concert and Wine Reception with the artists on Sunday, September 9 (3PM) are $60.

Specially Priced Packages include: the Music Mountain Gold Pass, including admission to all concerts and receptions with the artists, priority reserved seating and one $20 guest ticket available for any regularly priced concert, for $780 individual and $1,500 pair, transferable; and the Beethoven Cycle Package, including admission to all 6 concerts and 2 receptions with the artists of the Beethoven Cycle, for $225, individual, transferable.

Beethoven Cycle Package on sale from January 1. All other tickets go on sale on March 1.

Regularly scheduled Chamber Music Concerts are $35. Twilight Series Concerts are $30. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE to ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder. Saturday evening Twilight Concerts are at 6:30 pm. Sunday afternoon Chamber Music concerts are at 3 pm. 4-Pak Pre-Season Ticket Plans are available for $100. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit musicmountain.org or call (860) 824-7126.

Music in the Garden at Hollister House Garden

The Hollister House located in the bucolic village of Washington is hosting its annual event, Music in the Garden, on June 10 at 5 p.m. that is perfect for garden and music lovers.  Beautifully situated on a sloping terraced site, this house garden is an American interpretation of a classic English Garden.

Unwind on the main lawn amid the loosely formal structure of this garden and enjoy a magical concert by the Deming String Quartet.  The concert of baroque music will include  Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major by Johann Sebastian Bach, L’estro Armonico, Opus 3, No.11 in D Minor by Antonio Vivaldi, Selections from Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks by George Frideric Handel and more.

Bring a blanket or a camp chair, even a picnic if you wish – we’ll provide the rosé! Greet summer with a backdrop of a beautiful garden while enjoying an outstanding concert of baroque music.

For tickets, HHG Members $25 |Non-Members $35 https://hollisterhousegarden.org/events/music-in-the-garden.

About the Quartet

The Deming String Quartet is led by founder and violinist Larry Deming, Concertmaster of the Danbury Symphony Orchestra and Director of the Danbury Music Centre Summer Strings Program. Diane Orson, violinist with Orchestra New England (and WNPR reporter!), Barbara Wiggins, member of the Hartford and New Haven Symphony Orchestras and principal viola with Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and Mary Costanza, award winning cellist and currently associate principal cellist with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra complete the quartet.

Sip & Paint @ Audubon Sharon

Audubon Sharon will be hosting a “Paint & Sip” session on Saturday, June 2^nd from 6:00-8:00pm at the Sharon Firehouse, located on 36 West Main Street in Sharon, CT. 

Participants will learn to paint the Center’s little Northern Saw-whet Owl on a 16x20 canvas as she poses live.  Capture this gorgeous bird’s beauty on your own masterpiece as you follow Berkshire Paint and Sip instructor Michelle Iglesias stroke by stroke as you sip, socialize and support Audubon Sharon all at the same time.  

All painting materials, snacks, and donation are included in the price of $38 per person.  Participants must provide their own drinks to sip on.  You do not have to be an artist to join in the fun, but you do need to pre-register for this event.  

To register, contact Berkshire Paint and Sip at (413) 205-8346 or visit the calendar at https://berkshirepaintandsip.com.  This event is for adults and older children. For more information on the event, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520.

For the Love of Lighthouses!

If you love lighthouses you are in luck.  Photographer and author David Zapatka will discuss his images of Northeastern lighthouses and stars on Sunday, June 3, at 2:00 pm at the Bruce Museum Seaside Center in Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich. The presentation is part of the Fred Elser First Sunday Science Series at the Seaside Center, which includes family activities on lighthouses and stars from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. Members of the Greenwich Astronomical Society will also be on hand to help with star charts and night sky activities.

After seeing these images of the Sheffield Lighthouse and other lighthouses displayed at this event, visitors may want to take a cruise to Sheffield Island with the Seaport Association in Norwalk with their camera in hand!  The cruise to Sheffield Island is about a three hour "on the water" journey that offers a variety of angles and photo ops of the lighthouse. An additional bonus is the hour or so on the island that you can use to line up that perfect shot!  

 The Association's vessel goes out at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and runs every Saturday and Sunday in June and daily in July and August. For tickets and more information click here.

RAILROAD MUSEUM OF NEW ENGLAND LAUNCHES 2018 SUMMER SEASON WITH BBQ, BOURBON AND BACON.

The exciting summer season at the Railroad Museum of New England launches on Memorial Day Weekend. Beginning on Saturday, May 26, families wanting to enjoy the scenic views of the Naugatuck River and the Litchfield Hills are invited to take a ride back in time on the Museum’s vintage 1920s passenger coaches. 

Trains leave Thomaston Station at 12 noon and 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays beginning this Holiday weekend, and throughout the summer.  The 2 pm trains have the added feature of stopping at Fascia’s Chocolates in Waterbury to enjoy delicious selections of sweets.         

Kicking off the season with some “special sauce,” on Saturday, May 26, the Museum is offering the “Litchfield Hills BBQ and Whiskey Special,” sponsored by Litchfield Distillery.  This special event, for adults over 21, features a delicious mix of bourbon, BBQ and music with a train ride and scenic views.  

The program starts at Thomaston Train Station at 5 pm, with the serving of the “Litchfielder”— Litchfield Distillery’s signature cocktail. The BBQ includes a hearty BBQ appetizer buffet of pulled pork sliders, dry rubbed chicken wings, BBQ ribs, bourbon BBQ meatballs wrapped in bacon, and more, all provided by Black Rock Tavern of Thomaston.

On the train ride to Torrington each guest will be offered a “Brown Derby” cocktail, live music and select cheeses.  Upon arrival, passengers will take a leisurely, five-minute, down-hill walk down to the Five Points Gallery for scrumptious desserts, live entertainment, and coffee.

Desserts include caramel pecan cake drops, maple bourbon cannolis, caramel apple mini cheesecakes, truffle filled double chocolate cookie tarts, and mini cupcakes.  The event finishes up with a walk back to the train and return ride to Thomaston, while enjoying a “Mochalotion” dessert cocktail.

Further into the season, the Museum also is scheduling four special excursions with the “Torrington Twilight Express” on Wednesdays from July 11^th through August 1^st.  This special express train will run in collaboration with the Main Street Marketplace and leave Thomaston Station at 5 pm, departing Torrington at 7:30 pm, allowing passengers the chance to enjoy Torrington’s popular street festival.    

Kick off the Memorial Day Weekend with a Cruise to Sheffield Island

The Sheffield Island Lighthouse is an iconic symbol of Connecticut’s maritime history.  This historic lighthouse and light keeper’s cottage is located at the southern end of Norwalk’s necklace of islands on the west entrance of the Norwalk River in Long Island Sound. One of the best ways to kick of the season is to take a cruise on the C.J. Toth on Saturday, May 26, Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28. at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on all three days.  Tickets for this exciting excursion can be purchased in advance by clicking here or at the dock, space permitting.

This year is an extra special season for the Seaport Association because it is celebrating Sheffield Islands Lighthouse’s 150 Birthday!  Activated in 1868, Sheffield Island Lighthouse, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places was in service for thirty- four years before it was retired in 1902.  Today a visit to this gives visitors a first-hand experience on how important this lighthouse was to coastal and oceangoing shipping as these vessels plied their way on Long Island Sound, a major artery of communication and transportation.

A highlight of this journey is the cruise itself.   The cruise allows passengers to experience the beauty of Norwalk from the water with wonderful views of the shoreline, islands and the harbor. The fresh sea breeze and birdlife are enjoyed in the comfort of the Seaport’s modern vessel on the way to and from the island.

Reaching the Island, passengers take a tour of the ten-room light keeper’s cottage and the lighthouse that is furnished in period furniture giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like as a lighthouse keeper.  If the day is clear, the New York City Skyline can be seen.  Make sure to save time to look for shells, play on the lawns, and unwind with a picnic lunch on your own private island before heading back.

If you love nature and birdlife, don’t miss the chance to explore the Nature Trail through the Steward B. McKinney Wildlife Refuge. There is a wide array of bird and wildlife to be seen here including nesting herons, wading birds, shorebirds, terns and many others.  A special viewing platform enhances the viewing experience. Don’t forget to charge your cell phone up and to bring your camera and binoculars.

Round trip ferry tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children 4-12, children 3 and under are $5.  The boat leaves from the Sheffield Island Dock located at the corner of North Water Street and Washington Street in historic South Norwalk. Parking is available in the adjacent Norwalk Maritime Center Garage.  Be sure to wear comfortable closed toe shoes, and take note that for safety reasons flip-flops are not allowed.  Capacity is limited to 49 passengers, so purchasing tickets in advance is recommended by visiting the website or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3340649.

About the Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens who had a vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage. 

The Norwalk Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands.  The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational venue which strives to increase awareness, appreciation and consideration for our environment and how the preservation of historic buildings and nature contribute to our quality of life.

It is our belief that preservation strengthens the perpetual partnership between the past, the present and the future. The combination of the Lighthouse and the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate children of all ages and adults about the importance of preserving Long Island Sound, our environment and maritime heritage.

Weir Farm National Historic Site Opens for 2018 Season and Features Student Art Exhibit in May

Weir Farm National Historic Site opens its doors for the season on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. The Visitor Center, Weir Studio, and Young Studio will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and guided tours of the Weir House will be offered at 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 Wednesday to Sunday. Visit the home and studio of America's most beloved Impressionist, J. Alden Weir, chat with the Park Rangers, or try your hand at creating a masterpiece in this unique National Park for the Arts. Free-to-use art supplies are available during visitor center hours, and programs such as art workshops, wellness programs, talks, guided walks and special events will be offered throughout the season.   To kick off the 2018 season, Weir Farm National Historic Site is proud to announce the installation of a new temporary art exhibit in the park's visitor center. Entitled "Impressions of Nature," this art installation, completed in partnership with the International Fiber Collaborative, encouraged students throughout Connecticut to create art inspired by nature as J. Alden Weir and other Weir Farm artists have done for over 135 years. Students from 19 different schools collaborated and created over 60 works of art for this exhibit. This exhibition will be on display during visitor center hours until June 3, 2018.   Student artists for the following schools participated in this exhibit: Harborside Middle School, Columbus Magnet School, Rogers Park Middle School, Oxford High School, Branchville Elementary School, Central Elementary School, Ritter Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School, The Academy High School, Brien McMahon High School, Joel Barlow High School, Bethel High School, Mathewson School, Middlebrook School, Reed Intermediate School, Booth Hill School, Second Hill Lane Elementary School, Scotts Ridge Middle School, The French American School

The "Good Magic" of Fiddleheads

One of springtime's delicacies are fiddleheads that usually bloom in the month of May in Connecticut. Foraging, harvesting and eating this iconic wild edible is a time-honored spring tradition for many Native Americans. 

About Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are the coiled tips of young ostrich ferns that grow near brooks, rivers, and lakes.  They grow throughout the Northeastern U.S. and from British Columbia to the Northeastern Canadian Provinces where they have been consumed for centuries.

Fiddleheads are easily recognizable because the top of this plant looks like the scrolled neck of a violin. The trick is to pick fiddleheads before they unfurl into the large fronds of the fern; once they get too big, they are to bitter to eat. Picking time is short and lasts only about two weeks.

Fresh Fiddleheads are delicious and have a woodsy flavor.  Many compare it to a mixture of asparagus, spinach, and wild mushrooms.  Best of all, fiddleheads are high in iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.  Fiddleheads are also low in calories and high in fiber!

Medicinal and Culinary Use

Fiddleheads were called mahsos in the language of Malecite Native Peoples, a word that means "good magic."  For Native Americans, fiddleheads were an important source of food in the spring and provided vitamins and micronutrients. They were usually steamed or boiled in soups.

Medicinally the Cree (Algonquian) used fiddleheads in a decoction of the stalk during childbirth and for back pain.  Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and Passamaquoddy tribes used fiddleheads as a medicinal tonic that acted as a diuretic. 

Maliseet traditional wisdom believes that consuming fiddleheads helps to cleanse the body of impurities and toxins. They also introduced this delectable delicacy to the Acadians, who were the descendants of French colonists that settled in Eastern Canada and Maine.

This iconic spring plant is thought to have become an art form.  Some have interpreted the double curve motif that Wabanaki people sometimes use to decorate artwork bears a strong resemblance to fiddleheads.

Did you Know

Only two or three fiddleheads should be picked from a clump, leave some to mature into large leaves.

Look for tightly curled buds that have just started to emerge for the best flavor.

Before cooking, fiddleheads make sure to rub off the brown paper-like skin and wash them thoroughly.

Fiddleheads don't keep long if the stems turn brown before cooking just snip them off.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

Mystery of the Templeton Site Revealed

If you are interested in Native American archeology in Connecticut, don't miss the lecture on May 20 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the recent findings of the Templeton Site in Washington at the Institute of American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road. The cost to attend this event is $5 and light refreshments will be served. The public is encouraged and welcomed to attend.

The Presentation

The presenter, Dr. Singer is a specialist on the Paleo-Indian period in American history, which is the earliest known human epoch in Northeastern North America, which followed the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. 

This presentation will highlight the results of the 2016 and 2017 archaeological excavations at the Templeton site which is the oldest known archaeological site in Connecticut.  Amazingly, its Paleo-Indian component has been radiocarbon-dated to 11,190 years before the present.  

Dr. Singer will present new interpretations of raw material selection and toolstone use, artifact composition, and intra-site patterning in the Paleo-Indian component. Don’t miss this exciting lecture on one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Northeast!

Site Background

The Templeton site was discovered and originally excavated in the late 1970s by archaeologists from the Institute of American Indian Studies under the direction of the Director of Research, Dr. Roger Moeller, who published a book on his findings –6LF21: A Paleo-Indian Site in Western Connecticut.  

Dr. Singer, a research associate at The Institute is currently excavating the Templeton site. His recent excavations were facilitated by collaboration among members of the local Washington community, including the Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club, the Friends of the Office of State Archaeology, the Norwalk Community College Archaeology Club, New Hampshire SCRAP,  and archaeology field schools from Western Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut.  In addition, many avocational archaeologists and professional archaeologists also participated. 

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.