Health & Fitness
VIDEO & PHOTOS: Two BMS Students Represented Bethel at the 39th Annual Fairfield County String Festival at WCSU
An amazing experience! Gia Antolini and Cosette Domkofski, both age 12 and studying violin at BMS for the last four years, were chosen to participate in the two-day music festival weekend.
SEE MORE PHOTOS and VIDEOS HERE: picturesbypaula.com
The 39th Annual Fairfield County String Festival took place on Saturday, March 1-2, 2013, at Western Connecticut State University's Ives Center on the Midtown Campus in Danbury. One hundred and sixty-seven students from sixteen towns in Fairfield Country participated. (Students were selected from these towns: *Bethel, *Danbury, *Darien, *Fairfield, *Greenwich, Monroe, *New Canaan, *Newtown, *Norwalk, *Redding, *Ridgefield, *Stamford, *Trumbull, *Weston, *Westport, and *Wilton. / *School systems which are members of the Fairfield County String Teachers Association, Inc.)
Two Bethel Middle School seventh grade students, Gia Antolini and Cosette Domkofski, both age 12 and studying violin for the last four years, were chosen to represent Bethel at the two-day music festival weekend. They performed four selections: "Marcello Suite" (arranged by Edmund Siennicki), "Black Diamond" (Robert Longfield), "Appalachian Sunrise (Doris Gazda) and "Sabre Dance" (Arman Khatchaturian). (See full program below.)
Students had to be recommended by their BMS music teacher, who submitted their resumes to festival officials, who then selected students for the event. BMS music teacher Mr. Richard Baumer is presently their instructor.
The festival began on Friday afternoon, March 1, 3:45-6:00 p.m. and continuing on Saturday, March 2, at 9:00-3:00 p.m. when rehearsals and intensive instruction by prestigious conductors took place. Music instructors were Mary Ann Meade (6-7th grade orchestra), E. Daniel Long (8-9th grade orchestra) and David Gilbert (8-9th grade honors orchestra). There were three orchestra performances, 6-7th grade, 8-9th grade, and the Honors Orchestra (8-9th grade only). The concert began at 3:00 p.m.
The festival included an award-winning guest violinist Gary Capozziello, who once was a member of the Fairfield County String Festival orchestra. He was accompanied by pianist Doug Burn.
As stated in the program, "The Fairfield County String Teachers are organized for the purpose of providing a stimulating, challenging and motivating experience for selected, highly qualified, sixth through ninth grade string players through participation in the Fairfield County String Festival. Since its inception thirty-bin years ago, the festival has maintained a high quality of musical performance, and the number of student participants has increased….Through the years, the festival has featured a number of prestigious conductors and performers…The festival has always included a promising young artist as soloist at the concert….Past participants in the Fairfield County Festival Orchestras have also come back as soloists in the festival….It is an honor to be invited to participate in the Fairfield County String Festival."
THE 39TH ANNUAL FAIRFIELD COUNTY STRING FESTIVAL
Program:
6th/7th Grade Orchestra
Mary Ann Meade, Conductor
Marcello Suite (arranged by Edmund Siennicki)
Black Diamond (Robert Longfield)
Appalachian Sunrise (Doris Gazda)
Sabre Dance (Arman Khatchaturian)
Honors Orchestra
David Gilbert, Conductor
Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 1 (Arcangelo Corelli)
Notturno (Alexander Borodin) arranged by Farago
Simple Symphony, (Benjamin Britten)
I. Boisterous Bouree, IV. Frolicsome Finale
SOLOIST - GARY CAPOZZIELLO
Fairfield County String Festival Alumni
Doug Burn, Piano
Romance No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Caprice No. 24 for Solo Violin (Niccolo Paganini)
8th/9th Grade Orchestra
E. Daniel Long, Conductor
Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance (Percy Fletcher)
II. Fiddle Dance
On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss (Robert Holsinger)
Summertime (George Gershwin) arranged by Bruce Chase
Hungarian Dance No. 6 (Johannes Brahms) arranged by Merle Isaac
