The New Contempory – A Concert of Music Composed by David Williams, Michael DeMaio, and Maestro Robert W. Butts
Featuring pianist Nan Childress Orchard, violinist Alyson Whelan, guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz, soprano Nicole Rideout, tenor Eric Sparks, flutist Laura Ferraro, oboist Nancy Vanderslice, and bassoonist Andrew Pecota
The Program
Five Course Dinner for Three – Robert W. Butts
Qualia – David Williams
Intermission
Early Morning Suite – Robert W. Butts
Tombeau in memoriam Vรกclav Kuฤera – Robert W. Butts
Transfiguration – David Williams
Scenes from Madison Square Park – Michael DeMaio
All tickets: $20
The Artists
Maestro Robert W. Butts is conductor of The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. His compositions have been featured on Performance Today, Classical Discoveries, and other media outlets. He has conducted performances of his compositions in France, Italy and England. He was recently commissioned to compose Jockey Hollow Suite for the 90th Anneversary of the National Historical Park Service. Guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz recently released a CD on Elegia Classics label featuring the guitar compositions of Maestro Butts, including the works performed at this concert.
David Williams is an American composer whose focus has been to write the music that he, himself, would like to hear written. He does this with brave melodies, repeated motifs and contrasting juxtapositions – these are the things from which his music is made. He holds a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Composition & Theory.
Michael DeMaio is a musician and educator. He is a graduate of William Paterson University (B.A. Music) and Montclair State University (M.A. Music Theory and Composition).
Michaelโs compositions encompass concert music, chamber music and musical theater.
Guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz has performed to high acclaim in The United States and across Europe. He has recently performed in England, Italy, and Poland. In June 2023, Elegia Classics released a CD of Stanley performing the guitar music of Maestro Robert W. Butts. Stanley has commissioned and premiered many new works for classical guitar and often performs on modern instruments that enable him to perform music of the 19th century composed for 10-string guitars.
Tenor Erik Sparks hails from Texas and attended college in Arizona. He now resides in Pennsylvania. Erik has appeared with the El Paso Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, the Arizona Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Soprano Nicole Rideout is a Pennsylvania native. Her singing career spans the United States and across the globe. She teaches voice lessons at her private voice studio, is the music director of her church and is an elementary school reading specialist. Nicole is the mother of two.
Flutist Laura Ferraro has been principal flutist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey for over ten years. She has performed solo concertos of Johann Quantz, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Laura is also an active chamber music performer, frequently appearing with The Ionian Trio. In 2017, the trio performed 3 concerts in Venice, Italy.
Oboist Nancy Vanderslice has principal oboist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey for twenty years and also serves as principal oboist with several other local orchestras. She has frequently played on Broadway for Phantom of the Opera. Nancy teaches at Montclair State University.
Bassoonist Andrew Pecota has been principal bassooinist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey since the orchestra was founded in 1996. Andrew plays with many local orchestras, often as principal player. He has performed concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Internationally, Andrew has performed in Italy and Austria. Andrew has also performed frequently in promotion of wind ensemble music in trios, quartets, quintets, and nonets.
Violinist Alyson Whelan is an accomplished soloist and chamber and orchestral musician. She began touring internationally at the age of 12 and has performed in such halls as Carnegie, Lincoln Center, and Bohemian National Hall, among many other theaters across the globe. She had her solo European debut in Vienna, and Salzburg, Austria, to rave reviews. Alyson has several advanced degrees ranging from an Executive Master of Business Administration degree to advanced degrees in performance and music education. She owns and runs a small music school in Hackettstown and Glen Gardner.