Introducing March's Guest Artist

Bassoonist William Short was recently appointed Principal Bassoon of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He previously served in the same capacity with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Houston Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, William has toured around the United States with Curtis on Tour and has traveled to Belize, Cuba, Guatemala, and Nicaragua with the Philadelphia-based wind quintet Liberty Winds. Additionally, he has performed chamber music with principal players from the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Vienna Philharmonic, as well as with musicians such as Joseph Silverstein and Ida Kavafian. William’s performances have been featured on NPR’s “Performance Today” and on WHYY’s “Onstage at Curtis.”

William has performed at the Mostly Mozart Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Pacific Music Festival, and Verbier Festival. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Daniel Matsukawa and Bernard Garfield, and his Master of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Kamins. Additional major teachers have included William Lewis and Kristin Wolfe Jensen.
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Preview the New Year's Eve Gala Silent Auction Items

We are excited to announce that the silent auction items for this year's New Year's Eve Gala at the Sheraton Hotel's Emerald Ballroom are beginning to come in. We are thrilled with the generosity that we've seen from local businesses and individuals who have donated this year. It's fantastic to see such support for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.

While there's still more to come we have begun compiling a list of the items that have been donated so we can show you a preview of what will be offered. With the variety of items donated, from vacation destinations, dining experiences, fine jewelry, even an opportunity to conduct the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, we are sure there will be something that peaks your interests!

Preview the 2014 VSO New Year's Eve Gala's silent auction items here.

Not going to make it to the event this year? You will be missed, but fortunately we are offering the opportunity to place absentee bids. We encourage you to be in touch with Karen either by email: karen@vso.org or phone: 802-864-5741 x25 if you are interested in bidding. All absentee bids must be received by 12:00 pm on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 in order to be considered. Review the complete bidding instructions here.

For those of you attending the event we look forward to seeing you and enjoying an elegant evening to ring in the new year!

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Black Friday SALE!

Buy One Get One Free concert tickets at The Flynn Box Office this Friday!

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Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, December 6th at the Flynn Center

It was 101 years ago this May that Stravinsky's ballet Rite of Spring was performed at a new theater on Paris's Champs-Elysees.  Whether it prompted a full scale riot, as legend has insisted, is best known to the audience. Police records of the time are missing from the Paris files.

What is known is that there had been ample discussion of Stravinsky's previous works: his Petruchka, for example. And Diaghilev, whose Ballet Russes performed it, was hoping for a scandal. Good for ticket sales, even then.

The question of the audience's behavior remains. Some accounts have objects being thrown at the orchestra and dancers, others say the police were called. There is no doubt, however, that there was a great deal of vocal disapproval  and approval.

The audience was a mix of Paris's elite and common folk.

Regardless of what happened in May of 1913, the performance of Stravinsky's fascinating Rite of Spring December 6th at the Flynn will be the second time it has been performed by the VSO.

The pre-concert discussion at 7 will feature percussionist Tom Toner who will discuss the robust role his section will have in the performance. 

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If you can't use your Yo-Yo Ma tickets....

We hope you are looking forward to the April 30th Masterworks series season finale concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma as much as we are.

As you know, this concert (noted recently by the Burlington Free Press as the classical music event of the year) has been sold out since September. We currently have a waiting list of some 90 people looking for more than 200 total tickets. Obviously, many will not be able to be accommodated.

We always encourage ticket holders to return any tickets that will not be used to the VSO so they may be used by others. With every Masterworks concert selling out this season, this request became even more important. Now with the Yo-Yo Ma appearance, we know every seat will be filled if ticket holders do not let unused tickets go to waste.

If for any reason you find you will be unable to use all the tickets you ordered, please contact Mia at the VSO office at (800) VSO-9293, ext. 10, so we can make these tickets available to others.

Thank you.

P. S. - Ensure that you won’t miss a single note by subscribing to the VSO’s 2011/2012 Masterworks series. Contact Mia for details! If you have already subscribed, thank you!

Keep reading for the April 30 Masterworks series finale program.


2010/2011 Masterworks Series 5
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Flynn Center, Burlington

To have the most famous classical musician in the world on stage with us at the Flynn is a dream come true! The legendary Yo-Yo Ma (who is not only the ultimate artist but also a U.N. Messenger of Peace) joins his good friend Jaime Laredo and the VSO for two popular showpieces. The program opens with Poulenc’s delightfully satirical Sinfonietta, and also includes Ravel’s charming Pavane.

Jaime Laredo, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

POULENC Sinfonietta
TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme
RAVEL Pavane for a Dead Princess
SAINT-SAENS Cello Concerto No. 1
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Our annual free concert announced

Our annual free concert at the State House in Montpelier, the David M. Wilson Memorial Farmers' Night concert, has been announced!The program, led by Jaime Laredo, features two double concertos (one including a local youth soloist), a bassoon solo, and Mozart's ever-popular Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

David M. Wilson Memorial Farmers' Night Concert
Legislative Chambers, State House, Montpelier
Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
Free and open to the public

Jaime Laredo, conductor
Katherine Winterstein, violin
Dieuwke Davydov, cello
Joshua Morris, cello
Janet Polk, bassoon

VIVALDI Concerto for Two Violins in a minor
BURRILL PHILLIPS Concert Piece for Bassoon and Strings
VIVALDI Concerto for Two Cellos in g minor
MOZART Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Keep reading!