Palisades Virtuosi to Perform in Collaboration with MSU Cali School

Palisades Virtuosi is an ensemble of three musicians, one of whom is an instructor at MSU’s John J. Cali School of Music. They will be featured in the second of this season’s classical concerts at Van Vleck House & Gardens. It will be held on Sunday Nov. 9 at 2:00 p.m. and it will take place at the Van Vleck House & Gardens, located at 21 Van Vleck Street.

The concert will feature Gershwin Preludes, selections from Madame Butterfly and a work commissioned by the group as part of its mission to commission new works by contemporary composers.

Part of a collaboration between Van Vleck and MSU, these concerts welcome faculty, student and visiting artists to perform at the historic Van Vleck property in the heart of Montclair. All the concerts open to the public with no charge for admission.

Over its eleven years, the Palisades Virtuosi has carved out a place in the chamber music community both for its engaging repertoire and distinguished performance experience and for its support of new works by American composers. Based in Ridgewood, New Jersey, they have performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, the Stratford Music Festival, among others. They have recorded works from the traditional chamber repertory as well as new works to expand the possibilities for flute, clarinet and piano ensembles.

The concert features Ron Levy, an internationally acclaimed pianist who is, among other things, an instructor at MSU. Margaret Swinchoski’s performances on the flute have been featured in solo recitals and she has served as principal flutist with the Westchester and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestras. Clarinetist Donald Mokrynski has played with many of the area’s finest ensembles, serving as principal clarinetist with the Garden State Philharmonic and playing at major music festivals, such as Aspen, Waterloo and Heidelberg.

Attracting talented students, faculty, and visiting artists from around the world, the Cali School has shared its music resources with a growing audience through this series, which offers the public a chance to hear a variety of classical music styles performed by accomplished artists and their students.

Additional concerts in this series are scheduled for March 1, March 22 and April 12 all Sundays at 2 p.m.

Reserved seating is available by contacting 973-744-4752 or info@vanvleck.org. Seating is limited, so reservations are required. Previous concerts have over-subscribed. There is no admission charge, but contributions are welcome.

Informationand photo courtesy of Van Vleck House and Gardens.