Friendship Trio (2016) was commissioned by the NJ Palisades Virtuosi, and has three movements. The first, “Allegro”, expresses the beauty and strength of friendship. The second, “Andante Doloroso”, expresses the sadness of missing a friend. The third, “Allegro Giocoso”, expresses the joy and happiness of friendship.
Composer Joseph Russo studied with Robert Starer and Vincent Persichetti (among others) at Juilliard and with Luther Noss at Yale, attending composition/music theory classes at both schools. Joe has developed and continues to develop his own personal melodic and tonal compositional style. He has composed numerous chamber and orchestral works that have been premiered in the US and Europe.
Jennifer Berman began studying the flute at the age of 7 in South Florida. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts where she received both her High School diploma and Bachelor of Music degree as a student of Philip Dunigan. She then studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Ransom Wilson for her Master of Music degree.
After freelancing briefly in New York, she became a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she was co-principal for 2 years. For both musical and personal reasons, she moved to Connecticut in 1994, where she now performs as Principal Flute of the New Britain Symphony, as well as with many other area orchestras. Jennifer is also the flutist of the woodwind quintet Harmonia V.
She is also active in the choral community, performing as an instrumentalist with the Connecticut Master Chorale, Waterbury Chorale, and Farmington Valley Chorale, as well as the CT Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of CT and Salt Marsh Opera. She has appeared as soloist with the Albany, GA Symphony and the Rome Festival Orchestra.
Jim Forgey has been an active performer and teacher in Connecticut since 1992. His musical training includes degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. His teachers include John McCaw and Kalmen Opperman. Jim is the Principal Clarinet of the New Britain Symphony, and plays with other orchestras throughout Connecticut. Jim is also the clarinetist of the woodwind quintet Harmonia V.
Jim has been a part of many Broadway National tour productions at Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and currently serves on the music staff of the Westport, CT public schools.
Pianist William Braun has appeared as concerto soloist with the New World Symphony, Florida West Coast Symphony and the New Haven Symphony. He made his New York debut with the singers Dawn Upshaw and Richard Lalli in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art‘s “Vienna: 1900” exhibition and has recorded for Koch Classics.
A prolific writer, he has done cover profiles for Opera News magazine of Cecilia Bartoli, Ian Bostridge, Susan Graham, Nina Stemme, John Adams and Placido Domingo. Opera News has published over 300 other articles of his including interviews with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Marni Nixon, as well as overviews and analyses of various operas. Bill holds a doctorate from Yale University.
YPC 2021 Program Cover artist honored