You’re invited to the 8th annual NYC Musical Saw Festival:
When: Saturday, July 17th, 2010, 2pm.
Where: Tony Bennett Concert Hall, 35-12 35th St, Astoria, New York, 11106
Map
The Tony Bennett Concert Hall is part of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.
It is a gorgeous 800 seat state-of-the-art auditorium, with a professional stage, lights, sound system, curtains, etc.
Singer Tony Bennett tested the acoustics in the impressive space, which were designed with the help of Tom Young, a longtime sound engineer for both Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra.
“It’s a perfect concert hall,” Mr. Tonny Bennett pronounced.
Parking: Street
Public Transportation:
N/W Train to 36th Ave
or
G/R/V Train to Steinway Street
Admission: $10
What:
* Ameriklectic – a 10 piece jazz band featuring the musical saw as the lead instrument
* World premier of new compositions for the musical saw, commissioned for the Musical Saw Festival, including a piece for three musical saws by Eyal Bat.
* A musical saw art exhibit
* Solos by saw players from around the world
* The ‘Chorus of the Saws’ (all participating musical saw players playing together)
* Musical saw workshop
NYC Musical Saw Festival souvenir T-shirts will be available for purchase – $20 each.
More information about the 2010 NYC Musical Saw Festival will be added here soon.
Musical saw players wishing to participate:
If you would like to participate as a saw player or as a member of the audience, please contact us through the ‘Contact’ page and send us your name, e-mail address and whether you are a saw player or not.
Last year’s Musical Saw Festival:
When: Saturday, July 18th, 2009, 2pm
Where: Trinity Church, 31-18 37th Street (37th Street at 31st Avenue), Astoria, NY
How to get there:
* ‘R’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the Steinway St, Station. Exit near intersection of Broadway and Steinway Street. Walk (2 blocks) west on Broadway towards 38th street. Turn right onto 37th St. Church is at the end of the block.
* ‘N’ or ‘W’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the ‘Broadway’ stop. Walk on Broadway to 37th street (6 blocks). Turn left onto 37th street. Church is at the end of the block.
View Larger Map
Admission: $10
What:
NATALIA ‘SAW LADY’ PARUZ, founder & organizer of the Musical Saw Festival, will present the musical saw as an ensemble instrument in contemporary, jazz, pop, world-music/new-age music, with participation of a string quartet, soprano singer, percussion, bass and a handbell choir.
* World premier of 4 new compositions for the musical saw by composers Scott R. Munson and Eyal Bat, commissioned for the Musical Saw Festival.
* A musical saw art exhibit
* Solos by saw players from around the world
* The ‘Chorus of the Saws’ (all participating musical saw players playing together, accompanied by church organ and piano) – attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Musical Saw Ensemble’. The current world record (set in Poland last year) is 27 musical saw players playing together.
* Musical saw workshop
The musical saw player who travels the farthest in order to attend the festival is considered the “guest of honor”. So far we have confirmation of participation from musical saw player Kazu from Japan. Unless a musical saw player who travels a larger amount of mileage to attend the festival appears – it seems Kazu will be the “guest of honor” this year.
Non musical saw musicians participating in the festival:
TRINITY HANDBELL CHOIR, directed by Richard Walker
ILYA SPERANZA (soprano) is a graduate of The New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School. She recently appeared in the world premiere of Robert Kapilow’s New Moon with the New Jersey State Opera in which she sang the role of the “Royal Mathematician” and “Barbara de la Guerra” in Victor Herbert’s only opera, Natoma at the White Barn Theater in Westport, CT.
Ms. Speranza created the title role in Seymour Barab’s opera Ondine for The Center for Contemporary Opera in New York City and sang “Marenka” in Smetana’s Bartered Bride with The State Repertory Opera of New Jersey. She has also toured with the New York City Opera National Company singing “Frasquita” in Bizet’s Carmen.
Other regional appearances include “Liu” (Turandot) and “Frasquita”, both with the Cincinnati Opera, “Elisetta” (Il Matrimonio Segreto) with Berkshire Opera and “Naiade” (Ariadne auf Naxos) with Long Beach Opera.
She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Lake Charles and Alexandria Symphony Orchestras, the Summit Symphony, the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Bucks County Symphony and Brookhaven Choral Society.
Her most recent performances include a recital of American and German music at the Baroque Concert Hall in Vienna’s Altes Rauthaus and the world premiere of a new American Opera, “A.F.R.A.I.D.” at the New York Fringe Festival.
LAWRENCE ZOERNIG (cello), holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Mr. Zoernig has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, and in concerts in Hawaii, Brazil, and throughout Europe. He was a featured performer at the World’s Fair in Seville, Spain, and has performed with members of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra. Mr. Zoernig performed the New York premiere of the Concertino for Cello and Orchestra by Lars-Erik Larsson with the Scandia Symphony in 2004, and recently performed for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He has performed with such artists and groups as the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the David Parsons Dance Company, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and violinists Nina Bellina, Sidney Harth, and Mark Peskanov. Mr. Zoernig is on the faculty of the Sylvan Academy of Music in New Jersey.
KAREN ROSTRON (violin), As concertmaster of the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra (MCO) and principal violinist of the Manhattan Chamber Players for 15 years, she has participated in over 100 premiere performances in New York City, and over 30 CD recordings. She also appears regularly in New York City as soloist and chamber musician, is a principal guest artist at the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and tours extensively throughout the United States and internationally.
Recent New York performances in Weill and Merkin Halls, Symphony Space, and Trinity Church. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Graduate Center – CUNY. Ms. Rostron is on the faculty of the Precollege Division of the Manhattan School of Music, where she received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
MUNE TAKAHASHI (violin), Mune Takahashi received his Bachelor’s degree from Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo with the top honors in Performance studying under Koichiro Harada, founder of the Tokyo String Quartet and received a Master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music.
As an active professional musician, he has participated in more than 250 soundtracks, albums, commercials, and TV shows. He recently was invited to the Asago Music Festival (Japan), where his chamber music concert was well received.
He has participated in festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival, Miyazaki International Music Festival, Kurashiki Music Festival, and the Takefu International Music Festival. He has worked with many conductors such as Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Myung-Whun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi, Jun Mearkl, Christopher Seaman, Jerzy Semkov and Edo de Waart.
Mune Takahashi was concertmaster of the Toho Orchestra Academy, guest concertmaster of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, and associate concertmaster of the Pacific Music Festival Academy Orchestra. He also played with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as Orchestra Studies Diploma Fellow of the Eastman School of Music.
ZAKARIA ENIKEEV (viola), Zakaria Enikeev is the first-ever violist in South of Russia who won an International String Competition Award. In the age of sixteen he gave his first recital with the Rostov Symphony Orchestra conducted by A.S. Mileikovsky, the People’s Artist of Russia. Later on Zakaria often performed as the soloist with the orchestra, playing works of Hummel, Weber, and Bartok. Now Zakaria studies at the Juilliard School. As a soloist and as a chamber musician, Mr. Enikeev has been performing in the most prestigious concert halls of New York, including Alice Tully Hall, Paul Hall, Merkin Hall and Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. Zakaria Enikeev has served as principal violist of the Juilliard Orchestra on many occasions. Nina Beilina, an eminent Russian violinist, once said about Zakaria Enikeev: “Not only has the young musician a great technique and a command of various styles, he is truly in love with his instrument. You can feel the charm of a refined artistic individuality in his manner.” Awards, honorary titles: Second Prize of the Togliatti International String Competition (Russia, 2002) and the Governor’s Prize For Great Success in Arts and Culture. Finalist of the Stulberg International String Competition (USA, 2003); awarded the Russian Federation Governmental scholarship program For Outstanding Creative Abilities.
JUDY DIMINO (organist/pianist) is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, serving in the choir, the handbell choir, as an assisting minister, and as a substitute organist. Judy is a graduate of Queens College, now known as the Aaron Copland School of Music, with a B.A. in Music Education.
Judy was a pianist for the Committee Of Police Societies Chorus and Runner-Up in the International Piano Recording Competition 1982 She received the Presiding Bishop’s Certificate of Church Music from the Leadership Program for Musicians at The Mercer School of Theology in Garden City, Long Island in 2004. Judy has taught piano, guitar and accordion in various locations in the Queens area. Judy recently received a Certificate in Church Music from Westminster Conservatory, Princeton, New Jersey.
JAMES BASSI (conductor) is a composer, pianist and music director. His music direction credits include James Lapine’s Twelve Dreams at Lincoln Center Theater, and Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at White Plains Performing Arts Center. In concerts he has played for Ute Lemper, Deborah Voigt, Judy Kaye, and Jessye Norman. A versatile composer, James’ works have been performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. His compositions have been commissioned and premiered by many esteemed ensembles, including Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Voices of Ascension. He has received composiiton grants from NEA, Meet The Composer and New York Foundation for the Arts. His music publisher is Oxford University Press.
HEAWON KIM (pianist) began her auspicious studies in her native Korea and by the age of seven had already performed with the Korea Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic. She was renowned as the winner of many competitions in Korea and was frequently heard on the radio and seen on television. She appeared yearly with its major orchestras as soloist. She was a winner of the Vittorio Giannini Award and the Southeastern Music Teachers Competition. After her studies at the Mannes College of Music Ms. Kim went on to earn her Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music.
Ms. Kim has performed as soloist with many regional orchestras and noted New York chamber groups such as Pierrot Consort, Colonial Symphony, Rosewood Chamber Ensemble, Bronx Arts Ensemble, New York Virtuosi, Garrett Lakes Festival Orchestra, and North Shore Symphony Orchestra. She is in demand as a major partner for such international artists as Erick Friedman, Sanford Allen, Dennis Brott, and Marion Davies, among others, appearing frequently in important New York venues. As the pianist of many master classes of Erick Friedman, Janos Starker, Josef Gingold, Franco Gulli, and Tibor Varga, she has command of an unusual amount of instrumental repertoire. Ms. Kim recently joined the faculty of the C.W.Post/Long Island University for an innovative program in instrumental coaching and has been on the faculty of the C. W. Post Summer Chamber Music Festival since 1990.
The art exhibition includes art work by:
Aaron Porter, Jamie Isenstein, Heidi Younger, Zina Saunders, Young Joo, Victor Kerlow, Max Butler, Barrett Cobb
Musical saw workshop:
Open to saw players only (not open to the public at large).
Musical saw player Adam Wirtzfeld of MN will teach the technique of Multiphonics – playing two notes at once on the saw, using overtones.
The workshop will take place after the concert.
NYC Musical Saw Festival souvenir T-shirts will be available for purchase – $20 each.
More details coming soon.
Video excerpts from the 2008 NYC Musical Saw Festival:
Musical saw players wishing to participate:
If you would like to participate as a saw player or as a member of the audience, please send me your name, e-mail address and whether you are a saw player or not.
Please send an e-mail with the subject line of ‘Musical Saw Festival’ to: SawLady [at] SawLady [dot] com
The NYC Musical Saw Festival is made possible in part by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and Thrivent Financial.
When: Saturday, July 5th, 2008, 2pm
Where: Trinity Church, 31-18 37th Street (37th Street at 31st Avenue), Astoria, NY
How to get there:
* ‘R’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the Steinway St, Station. Exit near intersection of Broadway and Steinway Street. Walk (2 blocks) west on Broadway towards 38th street. Turn right onto 37th St. Church is at the end of the block.
* ‘N’ or ‘W’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the ‘Broadway’ stop. Walk on Broadway to 37th street (6 blocks). Turn left onto 37th street. Church is at the end of the block.
Admission: $10
What: This is the 6th year Paruz is organizing the Musical Saw Festival in Queens. The festival brings together musical saw players from all over NYC, the US and abroad. Astoria has become a pilgrimage place for saw players from such far away countries as China, Japan, India and Canada. The festival enables saw players to meet other saw players and hear them play, perform solos and jam with others, learn about different types of saws and discover different techniques of playing – all in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. The festival is open to the public at large who can learn about the musical saw and enjoy a unique concert featuring the angelic sounds of the musical saw. Another part of the festival is an art exhibit featuring the musical saw.
NATALIA ‘SAW LADY’ PARUZ, founder & organizer of the Musical Saw Festival, will present the musical saw as an ensemble instrument, with participation of 2 singers, a pianist, an organist and a handbell choir
* World premier of a new composition for the musical saw by composer Scott R. Munson, commissioned for the Musical Saw Festival
* A musical saw art exhibit including paintings and a video art installation
* Solos by saw players from around the world
* The ‘Chorus of the Saws’ (all participating musical saw players playing together, accompanied by church organ and piano);
* Guest of honor NICK BARDACH, a musical saw player from Germany, will give a presentation spoofing classical music with the saw:
NICHOLAS BARDACH studied timpani and percussion in Toronto/Canada, Brussels/Belgium and Cologne/Germany. Associate principal timpanist and percussionist of the Bochum Symphony Orchestra since 1978 and teacher of percussion at the State Music Academy in Aachen. (Almost) self-taught to play the musical saw (learning by doing) initially through contacts with contemporary music.
He is in high demand in symphonic orchestras as a specialist for musical saw. He has performed in such orchestras as NDR Radio Orchestra Hamburg, Philharmonisches Orchester Essen, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, WDR-Radio-Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Musikfabrik-NRW, Duisburger Sinfoniker and under such conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Hans Zender, Leif Segerstam, Johannes Kalitzke, Steven Sloane, Roland Kluttig.
Meanwhile he has a complete show of comic arrangements which ridicule “classical music” and “classical musicians”. His repertoire also includes original works for musical saw of a more serious nature, not only contemporary music but original compositions from pre-war France. Composers have written specially for him and his instrument. He has performed extensively in western Germany and has appeared on Pro-7 German television.
Non musical saw musicians participating in the festival:
ILYA SPERANZA (soprano) is a graduate of The New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School. She recently appeared in the world premiere of Robert Kapilow’s New Moon with the New Jersey State Opera in which she sang the role of the “Royal Mathematician” and “Barbara de la Guerra” in Victor Herbert’s only opera, Natoma at the White Barn Theater in Westport, CT.
Ms. Speranza created the title role in Seymour Barab’s opera Ondine for The Center for Contemporary Opera in New York City and sang “Marenka” in Smetana’s Bartered Bride with The State Repertory Opera of New Jersey. She has also toured with the New York City Opera National Company singing “Frasquita” in Bizet’s Carmen.
Other regional appearances include “Liu” (Turandot) and “Frasquita”, both with the Cincinnati Opera, “Elisetta” (Il Matrimonio Segreto) with Berkshire Opera and “Naiade” (Ariadne auf Naxos) with Long Beach Opera.
She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Lake Charles and Alexandria Symphony Orchestras, the Summit Symphony, the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Bucks County Symphony and Brookhaven Choral Society.
Her most recent performances include a recital of American and German music at the Baroque Concert Hall in Vienna’s Altes Rauthaus and the world premiere of a new American Opera, “A.F.R.A.I.D.” at the New York Fringe Festival.
ARIELLE LEVIOFF (pianist) ia a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, has appeared as a soloist at Bargemusic in Brooklyn, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. She also has performed at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and the French Embassy in Washington D.C. A past participant at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France, Ms. Levioff is especially known for her creative programming and specialization in the French piano repertoire of the 19th and early 20th centuries. She is the artistic director of Goliard Concerts, an organization based in Astoria, Queens which includes a full concert series each season, an annual Southeastern tour, as well as numerous educational programs and community outreach concerts. Ms. Levioff is currently on the faculty of the 92nd Street Y. She is a Yamaha artist.
SETH GILMAN (baritone) is currently freelancing in New York City, and frequently performs within the new and early music communities there. A graduate of the University of Michigan and the Mannes College of Music, he lists among his teachers Stephen Lusmann, Susan Ormont, Arthur Levy, and Tom Goodheart.
Twice an alumnus of the Amherst Early Music Festival, in 2007 Mr. Gilman sang the role of Giove in Cavalli’s La Calisto and performed two roles in Campra’s L’Europe Galante in 2006. Other mainstage roles have included Chato in La Purpura de la Rosa, Liberto in the University of Michigan’s production of L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Starveling in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Past festivals at which Mr. Gilman has performed include The Aspen Music Festival, Opera Lirica di Orvieto, the Seagle Music Colony, and the Caramoor Festival Young Artists’ Program. Also experienced in operetta through engagements and recordings with the Comic Opera Guild of Ann Arbor, he can be heard in recordings supported by the Victor Herbert Society. In 2005, Seth sang the premiere of Osnat Netzer’s Three Animal Songs, and of Lin Mu-Xuan’s Swimming the Hellespont zhi San this April in Boston. He looks forward to debuting with his historical instrument and vocal ensemble, Ex Temporis, in the fall, a concert, which will include new works by Eric Shanfield, among others.
Christian Nagel (pianist) born in Kiel, Germany, started playing the piano at the age of five. At the renowned Folkwang Music College he studied piano with Catherine Vickers and music theory with Wolfgang Grandjean. Since his praised final exam in 1999, he has been working as a freelance pianist, accompanist, choir master, conductor, composer and improvisor in all kinds of musical genres ranging from the classical to contemporary, from jazz to Gospel music.
Christian Nagel has been performing in many countries including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the USA, Hawaii, England, France and Austria.
TRINITY HANDBELL CHOIR, directed by Richard Walker
JUDY DIMINO (organist) is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, serving in the choir, the handbell choir, as an assisting minister, and as a substitute organist. Judy is a graduate of Queens College, now known as the Aaron Copland School of Music, with a B.A. in Music Education.
Judy was a pianist for the Committee Of Police Societies Chorus and Runner-Up in the International Piano Recording Competition 1982 She received the Presiding Bishop’s Certificate of Church Music from the Leadership Program for Musicians at The Mercer School of Theology in Garden City, Long Island in 2004. Judy has taught piano, guitar and accordion in various locations in the Queens area. Judy recently received a Certificate in Church Music from Westminster Conservatory, Princeton, New Jersey.
The art exhibition includes art work by:
Jamie Isenstein – video installation titled ‘Acéphal Magical’
Heidi Younger, Zina Saunders, Young Joo, Aaron Porter, Jamie Isenstein – paintings
Musical saw players wishing to participate:
If you would like to participate as a saw player or as a member of the audience, please send me your name, e-mail address and whether you are a saw player or not.
History of the NYC Musical Saw Festival:
Past guests of honor at the Musical Saw Festival:
A tradition which has evolved at the Musical Saw Festival over the years is that the sawist traveling the farthest in order to attend is considered the ‘guest of honor’.
2003 Musical Saw Festival – Mr. Weiss, musical saw player from California
2004 Musical Saw Festival – Mr. Kawagoochi, musical saw player from Japan
2005 Musical Saw Festival – Mr. Minden, musical saw player from Canada
2006 Musical Saw Festival – Mr. Gershom, musical saw player from India
2007 Musical Saw Festival – Mr. Chen, musical saw player from China
Video of part of the “Chorus of the Saws” – a jam-session like (non-rehearsed) performance where all the musical saw players participating in the Musical Saw Festival play together:
Contact the organizer of the Musical Saw Festival:
Please send an e-mail with the subject line of ‘Musical Saw Festival’ to: SawLady at SawLady dot com
The NYC Musical Saw Festival is made possible in part by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
