80% of our funding comes from these sources: membership in the Symphony Society(the greatest source), our raffle and donations. As we celebrate our 45th Anniversary, please consider your relationship with the orchestra, and the need for your support.
-UPCOMING AND PAST EVENTS FOR THIS SEASON-PLEASE SCROLL DOWN-
The Culver City
Symphony Orchestra
2007-08 Season
45th Anniversary Celebration Gala Benefit Concert
Join us for a night of song, surprises and food.
The orchestra and its Presenters, The Westchester Symphony Society, Inc., invite you to a special concert
featuring Music Director Frank Fetta-Piano,
and the BeLA Divas - Marya Basaraba, Cynthia Snyder and Lori Stinson.
Together they will present a concert vocal selections of OPERA ARIAS, BROADWAY SONGS, THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK; and in HONOR of the 90th ANNIVERSARY of CULVER CITY, SELECTIONS from FILM MUSICALS from the CULVER CITY STUDIOS of MGM and RKO.
Frank Fetta is well known to audiences of the orchestra, and throughout Southern California. For this concert Mr. Fettra will accompany the BeLA DIVAS at the piano.
Between them, the DIVAS have performed with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States; in Canada and Europe; with LA Opera; the New York City Opera; and L'Opera de Montreal. The BeLA DIVAS with their artistry of modulated and blended voices will sing selections from West Side Story, Lakme, The Magic Flute and The Mikado;and favorite arias and songs by Strauss, Mozart, Puccini, Cole Porter and Gershwin.
Join us in this exciting concert for the benefit of the Culver City Symphony Orchestra.
A post-concert reception will be held for ticket holders, along with the drawing for our annual raffle.
Some of the raffle prizes:A Deluxe Weekend for Two
in San Francisco, A Tiffany Gift Certificate ($250.00), An iPod Nano, A $50.00 Gift Certificate to Truxton’s American Bistro, a Charlotte Tarantola designer sweater, CD’s and DVD’s (Winners need not be present.)
Ticket prices:
$40 Gen. Admin. / $30 Symphony Society Members
Available at the door (Visa/Mastercard accepted). For more information or to request a ticket order form, please contact us: info@culvercitysymphony.org
Support the orchestra, use part of your Economy Stimulus check for this benefit concert.
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ALL CONCERTS WILL BE AT
VETERAN'S MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
4117 Overland Avenue
Culver City, CA 90230
The Corner of Overland Ave. and Culver Blvd.
Free Parking-entrance from Culver Blvd.
contact us at: info@culvercitysymphony.org
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Past Concerts
March 29, 2008, On Our Way Up
Winners of the 2007 Parness Concerto Competition for Young Artists,Intermediate Division
Winners Anne Lee-Violin (Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto), Niv Askenazi-(Lalo, Symphonie espagnole)Violin and Joseph Tsai-Piano,(Saint-Saens, Piano Concerto No. 2) respectively gave exciting and riviting performances. The audience came to its feet in applauding these young artists performances. Completing the program, the orchestra played the Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in one of more satisfying concerts from the group. This concert marked a milestone for the orchestra in completing its 45th year, and, we feel, rising to new heights musically and technically.
The Parness Fund needs your help to continue supporting these young artists. Please contact us if you would like to make a donation.
“This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the
City of Culver City Art in Public Places Fund with support from the Sony Pictures Entertainment Platinum Sponsorship.”
(l-r) Niv Askenazi, Joseph Tsai, Anne Lee. The three soloists with honorarium.
(l-r) Fetta, Askenazi, Tsai, Lee ---------------Post Concert Reception
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February 1, 2008, A Mid-Winter's Concert
Guest soloist, Cellist Ruslan Biryukov, performed the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1, in a minor, and the Hungarian Rhapsody of Popper. Mr. Biryukov is a past Senior Division Winner, 2003, of the Parness Young Artists Concerto Competition. The orchestra was pleased to present Mr. Biryukov, a musician of solid technique, immediate appeal and gifted muscality. The audience seems to have been pleased was well, demonstrated by their warm ovations after his performances.
The Second Symphony of Brahms completed the program. This symphony is a favorite of Conductor Fetta and many of orchestra's musicians. A common topic of conversation between the musicians, besides their awe for the beauty of the work, was Brahms' common use of themes and melodies starting not on a strong first beat, but on a second beat which gives a hesitation to the music's momentum. A common buzz word during rehearsals was "hemiola" (In early music theory, the ratio 3:2. Rediscover by Schumann, and taken up by Brahms.).
Following are photos from rehearsals and post concert. Since the photographer plays in the orchestra, photos of the concert are not possible. (Photos by Hermes.)
Orchestra Manager Helene Mirisch-Spear and Concertmaster Nancy Roth--The lower sounds
Frank Fetta and Ruslan Biryukov continue to work on the pieces afer the rehearsal
"Excuse me, but I believe it's that note." -----The orchestra and Biryukov at rehearsal
Backstage ------------------------------------ Orchestra founder Dora Bromber and Biryukov
Post Concert Backstage discussion
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Past Performances
Concert
To Benefit the Orchestra
Round tables nicely decorated and with flowers were arrayed on the floor of Veterans Auditorium instead of the usual seatsT.here were only two instruments for the concert, the violin and piano, instead of an orchestra. Plus two singers and a master of ceremonies, and this does not make for the usual Culver City Symphony Orchestra concert. It was our Season Finale on June 16 as a benefit concert, cabaret style, for the orchestra. The evening was an encore of last year’s cabaret benefit. Returning were Mark Robson, the evening’s Music Director, pianist soloist and accompanist ( and the recipient of a number of rave reviews for his solo piano recitals), and the orchestra’s own Concertmaster-Nancy Roth. New to the cabaret were Soprano Shana Blake Hill who landed at LAX that day coming down from Seattle after recording a new work by Chinese/American composer Bright Sheng with the Seattle Symphony; and via the Los Feliz area, Tenor Robert MacNeil. James Koenig was again the gracious master of ceremonies.
Mark Robson |
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Robson, Shana Blake Hill, William MacNiel |
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For those of you who attended, you know about this thrilling evening. It was an evening of solos and duets, soft whispers of hope and shouts of love. Robson confirmed the rave reviews were right with two solos. He displayed mastery of the instrument which makes difficult music sound effortless. The more Roth is heard as a soloist away from her concertmaster duties, the greater the impression she makes with her masterly performances.
Both Soprano Hill and Tenor MacNeil gave highly nuanced, emotional, and thrilling performances (to use just a few compliments) in solos and duets. The amorous possibilities in the duet at the end of Act I of La Boheme rang the rafters and made love seem like a real possibility. And both singers displayed the greatness to be found in American Songbook with Blake Hill in Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and MacNeil and Blake in duets from Brigadon, “Almost Like Being in Love,” My Fair Lady, “I Could have Danced All Night,” and Westside Story, “ Tonight.” There is something special to be found when Americans sing American songs, and they were made more special by the artistry of Blake Hill and MacNeil. They also displayed their virtuosity with opera selections. (The complete program is listed below.)
Light refreshments were provided gratis, and our annual raffle closed out the evening.
This benefit for the orchestra will help us continue to present our concerts. For those of you who did attend, we thank you. If you did not attend, please think of us for the next benefit concert and next season. Like many classical music organizations, we face changes and look for answers in funding these concerts. If you have enjoyed an evening of music at our concerts, we look forward to seeing you next season and hope we can count on you and your financial support.
The Performers
MARK ROBSON, Pianist and the evening's Concert Director
SHANA BLAKE HILL, Soprano, ROBERT MacNEIL, Tenor,
NANCY ROTH, Violin, JAMES KOENIG, Master of Ceremonies
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ON OUR WAY UP
Our March 31, 2007, concert featured four winners from the orchestra sponsored Parness Fund Young Artists Concerto Competition. The concert featured JUNIOR DIVISION (Ages 14 and under) winner Michael Chang, Piano, performing the Kabalevsky Piano Concerto No. 3,1st Movement, and INTERMEDIATE DIVISION (Ages 15 through 18) winners Ryan Lin, Piano, performing the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2, 1st Movement; Yeri Kim, Cello, performing the Popper Hungarian Rhapsody; and Kei Sugiyama, Violin, performing the Saint Saens Violin Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement. The pianists performed on a Yamaha concert grand.
The orchestra presenters, the Westchester Symphony Society, Inc., and the orchestra, are pleased to present young artists in concerts with the orchestra. For some soloists, this is their first time performing with an orchestra, an experience we are glad to part of, as we also benefit from the energy and innate musicality of these young artists. For the Senior Division winners, it is one of their performances right before they start on their musical careers.
The Senior Division winner usually performs in a separate concert, and this year it was Felix Eisenhaur, pianist, performing the Ravel Piano Concerto in GMajor, at our November 2006 concert.
Conductor Fetta then led the orchestra through Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Opus 46, Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6 & 8. In these foklish and peasant based dances transformed by Dvorak’s artistry to high levels, the orchestra shone, and sent the audience dancing into the night.
Please help us continue with these concerts by becoming a member of the Symphony Society (please go to the Membership page through the “Membership” link, and through donations to the Parness Fund Young Artists Concerto Competition (please go to the “Young Artists” link).
Please return to our Web site for updates to our 44th Season. And please go “News” for information for our upcoming fundraiser.
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This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the
City of Culver City Art in Public Places Fund with support from the Sony Pictures Entertainment Platinum Sponsorship.
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If you work or live in Culver City, beat the traffic and stay in Culver City for the concert. If you are outside Culver City, visit to see what the city has to offer. Enjoy a pre-concert meal at a Culver City restaurant, or go after the concert. Discover Downtown Culver City. And see what the Culver City of Commerce can offer you. The links to their Web sites are below.
Culver City Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Culver City
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contact us at - info@culvercitysymphony.org
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