March 13-14
Rhythms Across the Americas
Saturday | 3.14.26 | 8:00 PM
St. Paul's Church, 315 West 22nd Street
Matthew Aubin and TCS Conducting Fellow Valentina Paolucci lead a vibrant program of music from South America and the United States. Brazilian-American Clarice Assad’s Suite for Lower Strings is a playful riff on the music of J.S. Bach. Every section in the orchestra has a chance to shine in Alberto Ginastera’s virtuosic Variaciones Concertantes. Concerti by Heitor Villa-Lobos and TCS favorite Eric Ewazen round out the series.
Program
Suite for Lower Strings
Concierto para Viola Op.17
(Friday only)
Ciranda das sete notas
(Saturday only)
Ballade for Bass Trombone, Harp and String Orchestra
(Saturday only)
Variaciones concertantes, op.23
Featured Artists
Originally from Los Angeles, Margaret Renton is a violist and development professional based in New York City where she plays with numerous ensembles including the Chelsea Symphony, New York Repertory Orchestra, and Riverside Orchestra.
She has previously held principal positions with the Edinburgh University Music Society’s Symphony and Sinfonia orchestras and Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Universities of Scotland Symphony Orchestra, Colburn Youth Orchestra, Harvard-Westlake Symphony, Glendale Youth Orchestra, and Pasadena Youth Summer Chamber Orchestra. Performances have taken her …
DJ Zentla
Bass Trombone
Saturday, 3.14
Eric Ewazen: Ballade for Bass Trombone, Harp and String Orchestra
Djorkaeff “DJ” Zentla is a New York–based low-brass specialist, educator, and versatile freelance musician. A lifelong New Yorker born hailing from Brooklyn, DJ performs regularly throughout the tri-state area on bass trombone, tenor trombone, and euphonium in contexts ranging from recording sessions and orchestral ensembles such as the New England Symphonic Ensemble, Fort Greene Orchestra, The Dick Griffin Big Band, United Nations Symphony Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony just to name a few. A recent highlight includes his contribution as bass trombonist …
Katherine Munoz is a bassoonist from Flushing, Queens. She is invested in performing classical music from the traditional concert hall to a local bar. Katherine plays with local groups such as Protestra, Salon Avec Moi, and of course, the Chelsea Symphony. This performance of Villa Lobos will be her debut concerto with orchestra.
Katherine studied with David McGill at Northwestern University (BM 2018), Nancy Goeres at Boston University (MM 2020) and is currently an OAcademy fellow pursuing an artistic diploma …
Conductor
A sought-after leader in today’s orchestral landscape, Dr. Matthew Aubin cultivates musical excellence through an innovative, community-minded, and inclusive approach.
Dr. Aubin serves as Music Director and Executive Director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director of The Chelsea Symphony in New York City. Through these positions, he has developed a reputation for imaginative programming, organizational leadership, audience engagement, and advocacy for historically overlooked composers.
With The Chelsea Symphony, Dr. Aubin …
Valentina Paolucci is a rising orchestral conductor and violinist currently based in New York City. She has recently graduated from the Juilliard School with a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting under a full scholarship, and was awarded the Robert Craft-Igor Stravinsky Conducting Award upon graduation. Valentina is currently a Conducting Fellow with The Chelsea Symphony, Conducting Fellow with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the NYO-USA Alumni Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.
Her international conducting engagements have included …