Sheffield — Lich Gate Concerts will present a program at the Sheffield Town Park on Saturday, September 14, of works by Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Bartók performed by a chamber orchestra led by violinist Jorge Ávila, violist Orlando Wells, violinist Rachel Handman, and cellist Sarah Hewitt-Roth. The highlight of the show will be Vivaldi’s popular “The Four Seasons,” with the group engaging an orchestral chamber ensemble for the first time in a Lich Gate concert. But these players have extensive experience with ensembles of all sizes, and they are not limited to classical music, their biographies, below, attesting to considerable pop and show music experience.
Saturday’s program is as follows:
- Elgar — Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20, Allegro piacevole
- Tchaikovsky — Serenade for Strings in C Major, Élégie
- Vivaldi — “The Four Seasons”
- Bartók — Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76
The chamber ensemble on Saturday will comprise violinists Nelly Kim, Louise Owen, and Cenovia Cummins; violist Alissa Smith; bassist Grey Fulmer; and harpsichordist Andrew Henderson.
Actor Ed Valentine will read an English translation of Vivaldi’s own sonnets, written to go with each of the four concertos.
Sheffield resident Jorge Ávila will be the soloist for Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” Ávila won the Omar del Carlo Fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center and First Prize at the 2001 Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition. Having performed with such prominent chamber musicians as David Finckel, Wu Han, and the Salem Chamber Orchestra, Ávila’s repertoire includes all of the major violin concertos. He has recorded for Centaur, Naxos, Nonesuch, and other labels and served as concertmaster to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, in a televised Mass held at Yankee Stadium. He is concertmaster of the Ridgefield Symphony, Distinguished Concerts International New York, and the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series. Before becoming a U.S. citizen, the Honduras-born Ávila received his green card in the “extraordinary talent” category.
Rachel Handman distinguishes herself among other classically trained violinists with her ability to improvise on her instrument. You must be capable of this if you expect to play Celtic, pop, bluegrass, or folk with the kinds of people with whom she has worked. Having toured Mexico with Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, and Germany with the shows “My Fair Lady” and “On the Town,” Handman’s Broadway credits include “Dr. Zhivago,” “Something Rotten!,” “Miss Saigon,” “Carousel,” and “West Side Story.” A longstanding member of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Handman also serves as associate concertmaster of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with such pop luminaries as Ray Charles, Natalie Merchant, Norm Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, Roberta Flack, and Bette Midler. She is resident visiting artist at Music at Port Milford Chamber Music Festival in Milford, Ontario.
Violist Orlando Wells has appeared as soloist with Manhattan Virtuosi, the Harlem Symphony, and Antara Chamber Orchestra. He has worked with such pop artists as Mariah Carey, John Legend, Rihanna, Harry Connick Jr., Dionne Warwick, and Elvis Costello. His Broadway credits make a long list. Wells has performed with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra, Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, Musica Sacra, New York Oratorio Society, Antara Chamber Orchestra, and the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville, Fla. He studied with Michael Tree at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University as a double major in violin and viola.
Sarah Hewitt-Roth is a member of the New York Pops Orchestra, performs regularly at Carnegie Hall as assistant principal cellist of the New York City Chamber Orchestra, and has performed in “Live From Lincoln Center” broadcasts. She has served as principal cello for 12 Broadway shows, including the revival of “West Side Story.” She has toured throughout Europe and the United States, performing with Philharmonia Virtuosi and The New York Chamber Soloists.
Hear a program of works by Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Bartók at the Pavilion in the Sheffield Town Park, 53-59 Frederic Lane, Sheffield, MA 01257, on September 14, 2024, at 4 p.m. Tickets: pavilion seating $50/lawn seating $30, children under 18 free on the lawn with a ticketed adult. Card to Culture participants are admitted free. Reservations here. For more information, call (413) 441-6446 or email tickets@lichgateconcerts.org.
