The 2010 Musical Saw Festival was reported on in the ‘Astoria Times’ newspaper, with photo on the FRONT PAGE:
Making music with a saw and violin bow may sound like a niche interest, but the NYC Musical Saw Festival at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria Saturday proved it is one with an international appeal that only seems to be growing.
Festival organizer Natalia “Saw Lady” Paruz, a 17-year saw player who lives in Astoria, said the event began with four musical saw players and now, eight years later, has grown to 30, with players coming from as close by as New York City to as far away as Japan.
This year also featured the debut of both a new song composed specifically for the musical saw, “Seen and Unseen” by Eyal Bat, and the debut of Paruz’s new band, Ameriklectic, which played compositions in which the musical saw is the featured instrument. Paruz said she is already planning to record with her new band and to hold next year’s festival at a larger venue.
“Astoria has sort of become a pilgrimage place for musical saw players,” Paruz said.
Paruz’s passion for the instrument, which has led her to multiple concert and media appearances from a solo in Carneige Hall to an appearance on MTV’s “Andy Milonakis Show” to NPR’s “Prairie Home Companion,” has made her a lightning rod for other fans of the instrument.
Before she became a musician, Paruz was a dancer but was hit by a car while walking on the street.
“That put an end to my dance career,” Paruz said, “and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.”
When she took a trip to Europe with her parents a short time after being hit, she saw a man playing a saw, which she said was the first time she had felt excited about something since the accident. When she started playing, it began as a hobby, but her neighbors heard her playing and asked her to play for a charity function.
Word of mouth spread, first to other venues that wanted Paruz to play for them, which led to Paruz playing the musical saw and other musical instruments such as handbells professionally, then to other musical saw players. Eight years ago, a musical saw player from California contacted Paruz and wanted to come to New York to meet Paruz. She said yes, but only if the other, local musical saw players Paruz knew could meet the Californian as well.
This was the birth of the first musical saw festival. In subsequent years, more and more musical saw players wanted to meet with Paruz, and what began as meet-ups turned into an annual event that now takes all year to plan. The small theater was packed at the Hellenic center at 27-09 Crescent St.
“They just unanimously decided I should be the one to put on the festival,” she said.
Paruz said the musical saw is played by placing the handle between the legs for stability, then using the left hand to bend the blade from the tip as the right hand runs a violin bow along the non-serrated edge. The more the saw is bent, the higher the notes. Any saw can be played this way, although most saws made for music have no teeth or have teeth that are decorative and not sharpened.
“I’ve been playing for 17 years and I’ve never hurt myself,” Paruz said.
Lisa Mayer, a former Hillcrest resident who played at the festival with her husband and Kew Gardens native Sruli Dresdner, said the saw’s use as a carpenter tool and a musical instrument is one of its appeals.
“It’s utilitarian and artistic,” she said.
WooYoung Park, who came from Osaka, Japan, to play at the festival, said the sound of the musical saw is also a prime appeal.
“The sound is beautiful and unique,” she said. “It’s a free sound.”
Paruz said that for her the music has become a way for her to meet people of all ages, religions and backgrounds, in addition to sounding beautiful.
“It’s angelic and otherworldly and spiritual,” Paruz said. “It has a magic to it.”
Musical Saw Festival Opens With Mayoral Proclamation
All participating 26 musical saw players playing together.
Photo Harris Graber
The eighth annual New York City Musical Saw Festival welcomed 26 musical saw players from around the globe to the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria on August 7. A proclamation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg was read to open the event.
Ameriklectic, a local 10-piece band, featured the musical saw (played by festival founder Natalia “Saw Lady” Paruz) as the lead instrument in jazz compositions by Scott Munson. Two musical saw trios were presented at the festival, “Moscow Nights”, played by three musical saw players from Osaka, Japan. A ragtime piece by composer Eyal Bat, commissioned by the festival, with musical saw players Chelsea Winter, Sharif Vakili and Paruz, with piano accompaniment by Judy Dimino, had its world premier.
Musical saw player Paul Gherson parodied the lyrics to George Gershwin’s “Summertime”.
“Summer time, and the living is easy,
Bows are swinging, and vibrations are high…
Oh, but sawyers are few, and Natalia’s still looking,
The Carpenter’s Union she invited to try!”
Hip Hop poet Mason Granger presented a poem about the musical saw and musical saw player Doc George Hiller played his amplified musical saw attached to guitar pedals that alter the sound in various ways, making it sound like a Jimmy Hendrix guitar. A workshop where advanced musical saw players dispensed information to beginners followed the concert. At the workshop, two aspiring musical saw players drew their very first note from a saw.
Mark Grant, who has composed for the musical saw, said: “As a composer I learned a little more about the musical saw just by listening at the festival, especially to the [Eyal Bat] trio at the beginning of the program but also to other parts of the program. I was also pleased to get acquainted with Scott Munson’s work as a composer and arranger–his stuff is first class all the way, a ‘good listen’ and very well put together for the band, including the musical saw as a lead.”
“I’ve been wanting to go to the festival for five years, since I started playing the musical saw, and this is the first time I was able to be in New York City for the summer,” said one of the musical saw players.
“I liked meeting like-minded musicians from across the world and the U.S., and I learned a lot from the workshop, where we could talk freely about problems with our own playing, saws, bows, etc.,” said another. Heidi Younger, one of the painters exhibiting works at the festival, said, “I loved the festival! It was a very happy event. I am sorry I haven’t attended in previous years.”
Jeffrey Dayton, an audience member from Long Island, said, “To finally get to see what I have only read about is an experience I will never forget. I will cherish the memory for a lifetime. Every one of the performers was made to feel like they were the star of the show. No talent was too small.”
“Kudos to Queens Council on the Arts for support of the 8th annual NYC Musical Saw Festival: SawLady + gang is amazing,” Clyde Fitch, who lives near the Hellenic Cultural Center, twittered after the festival.
Three people residing in the vicinity of the Hellenic Cultural Center, where the festival took place, said they were inspired to dig into their toolboxes and try to fiddle with a saw when they returned home from the festival.
Audience members are invited to leave comments about the festival at www.MusicalSawFestival.org.
For more information about the annual New York City Musical Saw Festival, held in Astoria every summer, and to see videos from the event, visit www.MusicalSawFestival.org
NYC Musical Saw Festival
8th Annual Musical Saw Festival Held At The Hellenic Cultural Center In Astoria
Musical saw trio. Photographer: Pat Merino
The 8th annual Musical Saw Festival was held at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria. This fine art dates back to 17th century when woodcutting musicians around the world simultaneously began developing the saw as a musical instrument. In time a number of companies started manufacturing saws to cater to this part of the market.
The art form emerged in places as far away as Sweden, France and Japan; but we understand that America has emerged as the center of the art form. The Musical Saw Festival held in Astoria is the world’s largest and the following report captures some of its flavor.
Twenty-six musical saw players graced the stage of the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria, home to NYC’s 8th Annual Musical Saw Festival. Some played solo acapellas, while others were accompanied by piano, guitar, vocals and even by a four-string washbasin. ‘Amerikletic’ is a local ten piece band which includes the festival’s founder, Natalia ‘Saw Lady’ Paruz. ‘Ameriklectic’ played a few Scott Munson jazz compositions which were a huge hit.
Three musical saw players traveled from Osaka, Japan to participate in the festival. Another group, including saw players Chelsea Winter, Sharif Vikili and Natalia Paruz played a ragtime jazz piece composed by Eyal Bat which was commissioned by the festival. Judy Dimino accompanied them on the piano.
All participating musical saw players. Photographer: Pat Merino
Saw musicians are not without a sense of humor. Paul Gherson provided alternative lyrics to Gershwin’s Summertime which brought chuckles from the audience. Hip Hop poet Mason Granger recited a poem he’d written about the musical saw. And Doc George Hiller played Jimmy Hendrix style tunes on his amplified saw which he has creatively attached to guitar pedals to create new sounds.
One member of the audience, Jeffrey Dayton of Long Island, remarked, “To finally see what I have only read about is an experience I will never forget. I will cherish this memory for a lifetime”. Segments from the program were broadcast by CBS and Reuters. The program received some funding from the Queens Council Of The Arts.
You’re invited to the 8th annual NYC Musical Saw Festival:
Flyer art by Zina Saunders
Download the 2010 NYC Musical Saw Festival Flyer
Full page DOWNLOAD HERE
Two on a page DOWNLOAD HERE
Four on a page DOWNLOAD HERE
When: Saturday, August 7th, 2010, 2pm.
Where: Hellenic Cultural Center, 27-09 Crescent Street (corner of Newtown Avenue), Astoria, NY 11102-3142
The entrance to the festival is on Newtown Avenue.
View Larger Map
Parking: Street
Public Transportation: N/W Train to 30th Ave (walk on 31st street towards Newtown Avenue. Make a left onto Newtown Avenue. Walk almost 4 blocks to the Hellenic Cultural Center).
Admission: $10
What:
*
NATALIA ‘SAW LADY’ PARUZ, founder & organizer of the Musical Saw Festival, will present the musical saw as a band instrument in jazz/pop/world-music, with AmeriKlectic the band.
* AmeriKlectic – a 10 piece jazz band featuring the musical saw as the lead instrument. AmeriKlectic is an acoustic chamber music group featuring musical saw, vibraphone, strings, horns and rhythm section, performing original music with a disinct sound that seemlessly blends styles from classical and jazz, to pop, newage and ethnic musics.
* World premier of new compositions for the musical saw, commissioned for the Musical Saw Festival, including a piece for three musical saws and piano 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.
Non musical-saw musicians participating in the festival:
SCOTT MUNSON (composer, vibraphonist) graduated from Rutgers University where he studied composition with Pulitzer prize winning composer Charles Wuorinen, percussion with William Moersch, and jazz theory and jazz improvisation with the legendary jazz musicians Kenny Barron and Ted Dunbar. After graduation he became assistant to composer Charles Wuorinen, working closely with the composer, creating piano arrangements, full scores and performance parts of the composer’s works for performances with the NYC Ballet, the NY Philharmonic, The San Francisco Symphony and other major orchestras around the world.
In 2000 Mr. Munson was composer in residence with the Goliard Chamber Ensemble where he had an opportunity to tour the United States performing his works and giving lectures. Since then, the Goliard Chamber Ensemble has commissioned Mr. Munson numerous times, including a large scale work for string orchestra and voice that premiered in 2004 to an audience of over 600 to great acclaim.
In 2007 his work “The Undeterred” for the unusual combination of piano, voice and musical saw, premiered at Carnegie recital hall and was later repeated at New York’s Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. His ballet “Stand Back” has been performed numerous times by members of the Eric Hawkins Dance Company. In 2009 the ballet company Eidolon performed choreography to two of his works at the Joyce Theatre Soho. He wrote two works for musical saw and string quartet, which were performed on radio and at a concert in Israel in spring 2010.
His most recent commission, for Flute and Orchestra, was premiered December 2009 by the Astoria Symphony in Astoria Queens NY.
His newly formed 10 piece band ‘AmeriKlectic’ is premiering at the Musical Saw Festival.
Mr. Munson has worked as an arranger, orchestrator and music editor for Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and many others. Mr. Munson’s music has been heard on many TV stations including CBS, MTV, FOX, CNN, Bravo, A&E, The WE Channel, The History Channel as well as on radio stations such as XM Radio, WBAI, Radio Marabu (Germany), Radio Centraal (Belgium) and others. In 2006 an hour long radio program dedicated to the music of Mr. Munson along with an interview with the composer aired on Radio Kol Hamusika in Israel, the most prestigious classical radio station in that country.
He has won numerous awards, commissions and grants including first place in National Public Radio’s (NPR) “All Songs Considered” contest for his original arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and a “Meet The Composer” grant for his composition “Fantasy” for trumpet and vibraphone.
ANDREW BEALS (saxophone/flute) joined legendary jazz organist, “Brother” Jack McDuff and the “Heatin’ System” in 1986. Beals became the latest in a long line of Jazz Saxophone greats, including Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Red Holloway, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Harold Vick, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk to work with Jack McDuff’s band. It was marked by a busy performance schedule, which included lengthy tours of North America and Europe. Andrew Beals has appeared as a leader of his own band and as a featured soloist with Jack McDuff, and others, at many renowned Jazz clubs and festivals. Beals was a semifinalist at the 1993 Thelonious Monk Jazz Saxophone Competition; and in 1998 he was awarded the prestigious NYU Jazz Orchestra Scholarship for graduate studies in jazz performance and composition. Andrew is currently an adjunct professor of Jazz Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation at Western Connecticut State University(W.C.S.U) and a woodwind instructor at the Greenwich Music School. He received his Bachelor of Arts Music degree at Livingston College and Rutgers University, and has a Master of Arts Music Degree from New York University. His teachers were Paul Jeffery, John Stubbelfield, Frank Foster, George Garzone (saxophone), and Jim McNeely (composition).
BIM STRASBERG (bass) was born in La Jolla, California and has lived in New York since 1985. He received his B.A. from the University of California at San Diego where he studied with Bertram Turetzky. He later studied bass with John Neves, Todd Coolman, and Dave Holland as well as composition with Jim Whitsitt and Hal Crook.
He has performed with many notable artists including Charles McPherson, Eddie Harris, Terrel Stafford, Dr, Lonnie Smith, Mike Wofford, Johnny Coles, Jack Sheldon, “Papa” John Creach, Scott Hamilton, Mickey Roker, Cecil Payne, Eric Alexander, and Bill Mays. He is currently a member of the legendary Robert “Bootsie” Barnes’ Quintet which features trumpeter John Swana and can be heard on Weldon’s Midtown Blues (Amosaya) and Larry Gillespie’s Contour (Blue Line).
ROB SUSMAN (trombone) has appeared in music festivals in the North Sea, Pori, Vienne, Aruba, Bermuda, Gubbio (Italy), The Canary Islands, COTA (PA), Discover Jazz (VT), Red Bank, OSPAC, NJ Jazz Association (NJ), and What Is Jazz? (NYC).
He has toured the with Chico O’Farrill’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra and Salsa singer La India. He has performed with Branford Marsalis, Clark Terry, Tito Puente, Frankie Ruiz, Ismael Miranda, Liza Minelli, Jay and the Americans, Leslie Gore, Neil Sedaka, The Drifters, Ashford and Simpson and Neil Diamond.
He has been a guest musician on radio’s “Rambling with Gambling” , Television’s “The Vicki Lawrence Show”, and Joe Pesci’s MTV video “Yo Cousin Vinny”. He was a guest faculty soloist with the NYU Orchestra.
He can be heard playing on several nationally televised commercials. He has been a member of the Supper Club All Stars, The Rainbow Room Orchestra, Mike Longo’s NYSAE, Charli Persip’s Supersound and Broadway pit orchestras.
He can be heard on recordings by Swingadelic, Andrea Burns, Science For Girls, The Davenports, Blue Number Nine, The Electric Ladybugs, Peter Buchi, Hemingway, NoNoNonet, Stefanie Seskin, Repercussions, The Marshall Plan Kids, A Mass for Mass Trombones, Janet Speaks French, Fatback, Hagatha, Renar, and the Flipped Fedoras.
He has composed for PBS’s “Reading Rainbow”. His arrangements are performed by top ensembles, such as Boston Brass and brass ensembles under his own direction. His credits include: The Cairo Symphony Orchestra, The N.Y.U. Symphony Orchestra, Johnny Farina (of Santo and Johnny), and The Imani Winds. He arranged the popular swing version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” that appears on the Pottery Barn CD “Hip Holidays II”.
Rob is the Brass Studies instructor for the NYU Dept. of Music Education. He has given master classes at NYU, Brooklyn College, The Dalton School, and the Moses Brown School. He directs ensembles at The Village Community School, and The Rudolf Steiner School.
TIM MCLAFFERTY (drums) The son of a painter and sculptor, Tim grew up in a free thinking environment where he began playing drums at age four. He’s played drum-set and percussion in numerous Broadway shows, including Urinetown and Grey Gardens, Happiness at Lincoln Center, and the premier of the Philip Glass score for The Bacchae at Shakespeare in the Park.
Active in all genres of music, with a focus on jazz and improvisation, Tim has performed with Karl Berger, Mark Helias, David Liebman, Graham Haynes, Badal Roy, MIck Rossi, Eric Friedlander, Rona Figueroa, and also leads and records his own various groups. A very productive poet and visual artist, his poems have been set by composers Mick Rossi and Scott Munson.
AMY NELSON (trumpet) has performed solos in a variety of venues including the Grant Park Music Festival (Chicago), Great American Brass Band Festival (Kentucky), Grand Celebration of Brass Bands (Iowa), World Music Conference (Holland), Illinois Music Educator Association Conference and the International Women’s Brass Conference. She was awarded first place in both the slow melody and technical solo divisions of the North American Brass Band Association’s national solo competition four different years, placing in the top three nine times over nine years. She placed first in the International Women’s Brass Conference category three trumpet solo competition. Amy is a performing artist for Richard Smith Musical Instruments and plays a Smith Watkins soloist cornet.
Amy served as principal cornet and personnel manager of the Chicago Brass Band, winners of the 2004 NABBA Championship division and the NABBA representatives at the 2005 World Brass Band Competition in the Netherlands. Prior to joining the CBB she was a member of the Illinois Brass Band, six-time NABBA champions, where she served as cornet section leader and personnel manager and was a frequent soloist. She toured England with the IBB and toured America with the Regent Brass Band of London, England. These days Amy can be found in New Jersey performing with the Imperial, Princeton, and Atlantic Brass Bands. She is the principal cornet of the Athena Brass Band.
Amy is currently freelancing in the New York City/Tri-State area. She is a member of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York. She has performed with such Broadway shows as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the national tour of Evita. Orchestral performances have included work with the Queens Symphony, the American Symphony and the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra. She recently completed a recording project with composer Joseph Dymit of original trumpet works entitled Battlecry (www.piquedamemusic.com). She believes in the importance of music education and works with a program in Brooklyn which provides instrumental instruction for students without access to music in schools.
LAWRENCE ZOERNIG (cello), has been principal ‘cellist of many New York symphony and chamber orchestras, including New York Chamber Orchestra, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Bachanalia and Opera Manhattan. Mr. Zoernig premièred Lars-Erik Larsson’s Concertino for ‘Cello and String Orchestra at Trinity Church with the New York Scandia Symphony, for which he is also principal ‘cellist. He has also recently performed the Cello Concerto by Johan Svendsen with the Scandia Symphony.
As a chamber musician, he performs frequently with the Goliard
Ensemble and Bachanalia. He has appeared with such noted artists as
violinists Nina Beilina, Sidney Harth and Mark Peskanov, clarinetist
Charles Neidich, guitarist David Starobin, and well-known dance
ensembles including the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the David
Parsons Dance Company. He has appeared as soloist and chamber musician at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall in New York and the Phillips Collection and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C..
His Scandia Quartet was invited to play for former US President
Jimmy Carter and his wife, Roslyn, at the Carter Center in Atlanta,
Georgia, and for the Prince and Princess of Denmark at the New York
Public Library’s Hans Christian Anderson Centenniel Celebration.
As a concert artist on the international scene, Mr. Zoernig has
been presented at the Teatro Amazones in Manaus, Brazil and the World Expo in Seville, Spain and has also performed extensively on Cunard Line cruise ships Queen Elizabeth II, Caronia, Vistafjord, Sagafjord, and Royal Viking Sun throughout the world.
Lawrence Zoernig recently returned from the National Tour of the
award winning hit Broadway show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”.
Meet the Composer Foundation recently provided Mr. Zoernig with a
grant for his work as a composer of music for cello. Additionally, he
maintains an active teaching schedule and is presently a faculty
member of the Sylvan Academy of Music in Closter, NJ.
Lawrence Zoernig was born in 1960 in Sioux City, Iowa. He began
studying ‘cello at age eight. He attended the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, Illinois, an arts-centered boarding school. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Alan Harris, and a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School where he studied with Harvey Shapiro. At Juilliard he also worked extensively with Felix Galimir, Joel Krosnick, John, Cage, Albert Fuller and Jaap Schröder.
He has also coached with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Budapest,
Tokyo, and Hungarian Quartets.
He plays a Stradivarious model ‘cello made by Tim Hulley of Ottawa,
Ontario, completed in 2004.
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.
CYNTHIA MARCUS SMITH (violin) performs regularly throughout the tri state area. She is a violinist and Co-Founder in the Dynamic Motion Company. This ensemble pairs a small group of dancers with a string quartet in live performance. She plays in many New York based orchestras and regularly performs at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Cynthia also is the violinist in the chamber pop band, The Staves.
She has been lucky to perform around the world at the major concert houses of Italy, Austria, Singapore, Mexico, Washington DC, and New York. Cynthia is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory where she studied with Pamela Frank and Shirley Givens.
JUDY DIMINO (piano) 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.
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:
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 and the New York State Council on the Arts.
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.
July 30th, 2008
Musical Saw Festival Held In Astoria
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For the past six years, in July, afficionados of the musical saw come out for the annual NYC Musical Saw Festival.
Thirty musical saw players came from as far away as Germany, Canada, Georgia, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York to Trinity Lutheran Church in Long Island City. WFMU Radio DJ Bronwyn C said, “[This was] the concert of the summer. The idea of a musical saw backed up by a handbell choir makes the top of my head blow off”.
The festival featured an eclectic mix of sonic sounds. A trio of New York City saw players opened the festival with a hymn accompanied by organist Judy Dimino. The festival’s founder and director, Natalia “Saw Lady” Paruz, presented the educational segment of the festival, featuring the musical saw as an ensemble instrument in Donizetti’s opera “Lucia di Lammermoor”, with singer Ilya Speranza and pianist Arielle Levioff artistic director of the Queens Goliard ensemble, followed by a contemporary piece by Queens composer Scott R. Munson, with Seth Gilman, baritone.
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The Trinity Handbell Choir, directed by Richard Walker, joined Paruz in a rendition of Satie’s “Gymnopedie” followed by the world premiere of a piece for musical saw and Japanese music box by composer Scott R. Munson. Paruz played an amplified old music box which played a traditional Japanese koto song, weaving the sound of the musical saw along the decelerating melody of the music box.
A succession of saw players followed, each presenting music of different styles, from classical to blues, gospel, folk, contemporary and avant-guard. The audience got to witness the use of different types of saws, played in different techniques, some with bows or mallets and others using electronic effects. The “Chorus of the Saws”, which featured all 30 saw players playing together, received a standing ovation.
Different artists also treated the audience to an art exhibit featuring many paintings, all depicting the musical saw. Joe Pecknic, a curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took photos of the exhibited artwork. Of particular interest an oscillating fan blowing air into bottles creating the effect of a mysterious jug band accompanied a video installation by Jamie Isenstine, featuring a headless magician playing the saw. A clown and vaudevillian act also played saws.
The festival, which was made possible in part by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, concluded with a workshop. New Jersey saw player Gregory Newton said, “Because the saw is mostly a self-taught instrument, an occasion like this is one of the only ways many of us see how other people play and negotiate some of the playing challenges. It’s fun and instructive to see how others approach the same situations differently, but successfully.” Bob Heliger, also from New Jersey, said, “The festival was both entertaining and inspiring. What a wonderful atmosphere. The church really expressed the beauty of the saw as a musical instrument.” Associated Press TV filmed the festival for worldwide broadcast.
