The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra launched its "Our Musical Heritage" series of concerts at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season. This concert series features music from the largest cultural and ethnic communities in New Brunswick, including Latino, Jewish, Hungarian, African-American, and Asian. Each concert in the series is devoted to the exploration of orchestral music from those cultures and more. The orchestra is uniquely positioned to offer this type of exploratory program as the city of New Brunswick’s only chamber orchestra. Each concert has used the forces of the NBCO, as well as featuring individual artists within the orchestra as well as talented artists representing the best of central New Jersey.
Concert I: ‘Music of the Americas’ October 1, 2005, Kirkpatrick Chapel, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Carlos Chávez: Sarabanda para cuerdas Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring Heitor Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No. 3 with Cheng Chi Kevin Tsai, Michael Szeles, Hui Fang Hsu, Ole Eirik Ree, quartet
Concert II: ‘Music of the Jewish Tradition.’ April 30, 2006, Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick
Ben Steinberg: Kol Shabbat; Eilu D’varim Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso No. 1 with Makhelat Anshe Emeth; Barbara Fisherman and Cantor Anna West Ott, sopranos; Chan Ngat Chau, cello
Concert III: ‘Music of the African-American Tradition’ October 14, 2006, Christ Church, New Brunswick
George Theophilus Walker: Lyric for Strings William Grant Still: Songs of Separation, Summerland Duke Ellington: Come Sunday Adolphus Hailstork: As Falling Leaves J.Weldon Johnson: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing with Beverly Owens, soprano; Mark Trautman, piano; Jill Crawford, flute; Marjorie Selden, viola; Elaine Christy, harp
The remaining programs in "Our Musical Heritage" series will continue to offer unique programming, presenting works that are rarely heard, yet offer an enriching musical experience highly relevant to New Brunswick and the surrounding community. All concerts include works by contemporary as well as traditional composers with music that is vibrant and accessible, with a wonderful mix of the familiar and the surprising.
The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra is committed to high-quality performances and ‘Our Musical Heritage” concerts will reflect this commitment. The quality of NBCO performance begins with the high level of musicianship of orchestra members and continues though to the drive and expertise of our artistic director and conductor, Mark Trautman. Highly acclaimed as an organist and conductor, Mr. Trautman brings to the orchestra his extensive experience in choral and orchestral performance from the baroque to the contemporary.