Bard College’s The Orchestra Now (TŌN) chosen to perform in Bradley Cooper’s Netlix Film ‘Maestro’ filmed at Tanglewood
Annandale-On-Hudson— As the classical music world eagerly awaits the new Netflix film “Maestro”, starring Bradley Cooper as the renowned composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, the young musicians of Bard College’s pre-professional graduate orchestra, The Orchestra Now (TŌN), are particularly excited about the film’s imminent release. They were selected to perform Beethoven’s 8th Symphony in the film, with “Leonard Bernstein” (Cooper) conducting, and will also be on the Deutsche Grammophon release of the film’s original soundtrack.
In April of 2022, TŌN was approached by the film’s orchestra casting agent. The script included a 1989 Tanglewood performance by Bernstein with a youth orchestra. “They told us they had considered all of the major pre-professional young orchestras on the east coast,” said TŌN Executive Director Kristin Roca. By the end of the month, Cooper and the casting director had selected The Orchestra Now for the role. By May, the TŌN musicians were at Tanglewood, preparing to perform with “Lenny.”
For double bassist Milad Daniari, a 2018 TŌN graduate, this was a highlight of his young career. “Like most classical musicians, I grew up surrounded by Leonard Bernstein’s iconic recordings and videos. I even have a framed print of him conducting the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood hanging above my desk,” he said. “To film this once-in-a-lifetime scene for Maestro, at Tanglewood no less, remains one of the most incredible moments of my career. The second Bradley Cooper came on set in full makeup, it truly felt as if Leonard Bernstein was in the room with us.”
“Maestro” will have a limited theatrical release on November 22nd, and will be available for streaming on Netflix on December 20th. The Maestro Original Soundtrack album will be released by Deutsche Grammophon digitally on November 17th and on CD and vinyl on December 1st.
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GB utility boxes get graphic facelift
Great Barrington— Historic scenes and personalities of Great Barrington are now displayed on electric utility boxes in the downtown area.
These decorative additions to the otherwise drab utility boxes were a project of the town’s Historic District Commission. The project was spearheaded by Historic District Commission Vice Chair Jim Mercer and executed by Franklin Marvel of Cyanta Studios in Boston. Images used were sourced from the Great Barrington Historical Society’s archives.
Featured on the boxes are poet William Cullen Bryant, engineer William Stanley, and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois. There are also images of historic Main Street properties as well.
Historic District Commission Chair Don Howe expressed his appreciation for the effort invested in this initiative, “which contributes to the town’s aesthetic appeal and fosters a deeper connection to the town’s cultural heritage.”
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Greylock appoints Ann Deely as Director Emeritus
Pittsfield— Greylock Federal Credit Union’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint Ann Deely as Director Emeritus in recognition of her long and distinguished service to the credit union.
In July 2023, the Board of Directors voted to confer the Director Emeritus designation on Deely. Individuals who are appointed Directors Emeriti function as an advisory committee to the board of directors. Deely’s designation reflects a two-year term.
“I’m honored to have served with Ann and am gratified to recognize her years of dedication and commitment to the members of Greylock,” said Board Chair Peter Lopez. “We look forward to her continued involvement with the board as an esteemed advisor and Director Emeritus.”
Deely joined the board in November 2010 and was elected board chair in 2018 before resigning later that year due to personal circumstances. She founded the law firm Deely & Deely in Lee and was actively involved in the community for many years. Former affiliations included the Lee Youth Association, Lee Planning Board, Berkshire United Way, and the Lee High School Building Committee. Deely was a former legal advisor for Community Television of Southern Berkshire County and the Lee VNA Ethics Commission. Deely is a graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. in 1980. Deely was a member of the Berkshire and Massachusetts Bar Association and is a Massachusetts Bar Foundation Life Fellow.
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Darlene Rodowicz of Berkshire Health Systems honored with 2023 Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award
Berkshire— Berkshire Health Systems announced today that Darlene Rodowicz will be receiving a 4th Annual Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award from The Women’s Edge (formerly The Commonwealth Institute), the leading nonprofit organization devoted to advancing women leaders. This award is the first of its kind in the nation, reaching across diverse sectors of healthcare – from life sciences, healthcare education and systems, to healthcare foundations, patient care, and public health. It recognizes and celebrates remarkable healthcare leaders in Massachusetts for their outstanding career achievements and resounding impact.
“I am very grateful to The Women’s Edge for their tireless work in empowering woman leaders throughout Massachusetts, and for recognizing me with this special honor,” Rodowicz said. “It is a true privilege to receive this recognition for doing the work that I am so passionate about — leading more than 4,000 dedicated health care professionals in supporting our community and helping Berkshire County thrive.”
As President and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and a life-long resident of Berkshire County, Darlene Rodowicz has dedicated her career to advancing the health and wellbeing of the community she loves. Darlene joined BHS in 1984 and has served on the system’s Executive Leadership Team since 2005. Over the decades, BHS has grown into an integrated system of more than 4,000 employees serving rural Berkshire County, and Darlene has played a crucial role in this evolution through her various leadership positions, including ensuring the financial strength of the organization during her 15 years as Chief Financial Officer.
Rodowicz will be honored at the EWAH awards reception on November 15th. Registration for the celebration event, as well as more information on the awards can be found at https://thewomensedge.org/events-awards/extraordinary-women-advancing-healthcare/.
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Professor Craig Anderson and Bard College receive the Jean Dreyfus Lectureship Award
Annandale-On-Hudson— Craig Anderson, Wallace Benjamin Flint and L. May Hawver Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Research at Bard, and Bard College have received a 2023 Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions Award. The prestigious award provides an $18,500 grant to bring a leading researcher to a primarily undergraduate institution to give two lectures in the chemical sciences, one of which will be open and accessible to the general public.
Chemical engineer and kineticist Donna Blackmond, who is best known for pioneering the methodology of “Reaction Progress Kinetic Analysis (RPKA)” for fundamental mechanistic studies of complex organic reactions, as well as for streamlining pharmaceutical process research, will give a series of lectures at Bard College during the Fall 2024 semester. Professor Blackmond currently serves as the John C. Martin Endowed Chair of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research Institute. During her visit to Bard, Blackmond will substantively interact with undergraduate students and faculty. “We are extremely excited to receive this award that will allow our students access to such an elite research chemist like Professor Blackmond, as well as support novel chemistry research for two exceptional Bard students,” Professor Anderson said.
The Jean Dreyfus Lectureship Award will also support summer research for two undergraduates who will be working with members of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Program during Bard College’s eight-week summer research program, Bard Summer Research Institute.
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Return of a beloved Berkshire jewelry store
Great Barrington— Tim McClelland, the designer and master craftsman behind the renowned Berkshire jewelry brand, McTeigue & McClelland is opening his doors once again to the public under the new name, T. W. McClelland & Daughters. The jewelry gallery will be open limited hours and by appointment in the original location at 597 South Main Street in Great Barrington.
Over the years, Tim has specialized in bespoke jewelry designs using the finest gemstones and craftsmanship. Since closing McTeigue & McClelland at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, Tim has been developing the new and original work he is known for. “I am thrilled to be opening with the help of my talented and artistic daughters,” Tim says. “This is a new chapter in my creative path. And one I look forward to sharing with many old and new friends.”
The doors will be opening Saturday, November 25th, in time for the holiday season.
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Lee Bank elects four new corporators
Lee— The board of trustees of Lee Bank have elected four new corporators all of whom have accepted their roles. They are:
- Juan Carlos Gonzalez, who previously worked in the banking industry in Colombia. Since moving to the Berkshires, he has been focused on empowering the Latin-X community through resources for financial mobility and stability.
- Jeffrey R. Minkler is a long-time resident of Stockbridge. He is a co-owner of Arcadian Shop in Lenox.
- Baljit “Jesse” Singh has years of business and entrepreneurial experience including owning a car wash in Canaan plus the Sunoco and Car Wash in Great Barrington.
- Marcela Urrea is a community health worker at VIM Berkshires. In her work she connects patients with necessary resources and strives to create more equitable community systems that empower patients to lead healthy lives.
Corporators are intended to represent a cross-section of Lee Bank’s depositors. They are responsible for electing the trustees and officers of Berkshire Financial Services (Lee Bank’s holding company). They approve any changes in the Bank’s bylaws or corporate structure, but they have no financial stake in the corporation.
For a full list of Lee Bank corporators and trustees, visit: https://www.leebank.com/about-us/meet-our-board-of-directors.html
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Associate degree in Nursing program at Berkshire Community College receives national accreditation
Pittsfield— The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program at Berkshire Community College (BCC) was recently granted full, continuing accreditation by the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The next ACEN evaluation visit is scheduled for spring 2031.
ACEN is a national organization recognized as an accrediting body by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACEN accreditation is a peer-review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality.
“Accreditation validates the quality of our program and the effectiveness of the education of our students,” said BCC President Ellen Kennedy. “We are proud to be addressing an important workforce need in Berkshire County and the Commonwealth through both of our accredited nursing programs.” The Practical Nurse program at BCC was accredited earlier this year.
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Nursing students and anyone age 25+ without a degree can attend BCC for free
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) continues its series of special community college information sessions for anyone either over the age of 25 without a college degree or for those pursuing a nursing degree. Thanks to the Commonwealth’s MassReconnect and nursing scholarship programs, attending college at BCC can be completely free.
Free information sessions will be held:
- Saturday, December 9th at 10 a.m., Berkshire Community College at 1350 West Street, in Pittsfield
- Tuesday, December 12th at 5 p.m., Virtual
- Thursday, December 14th at 5 p.m., Brien Center at 124 American Legion Drive in North Adams
To register for a session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/massreconnect.
