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The Westchester Chamber Symphony

History and Highlights
Barry Charles Hoffman
Robert Sherman
Symphony Personnel
Board of Directors
Advisory Board
Volunteers and Ushers

History and Highlights

The Westchester Chamber Symphony is a fully professional orchestra, quickly becoming known in and outside of Westchester County for its first rate and inspiring performances, world class soloists, innovative programming and its world premiers of meaningful new works it has commissioned.

Now beginning its seventh season at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, the WCS was founded in 1984 by its Artistic Director, Barry Charles Hoffman. For many years the WCS gave its concerts at various sites throughout Westchester County and in 1994 began its association with Iona College.

In 1996, under the direction of Maestro Hoffman, the WCS commissioned and premiered Seymour Barab's The Selfish Giant. This performance was subsequently broadcast on WQXR. As part or our 1998 - 1999 programming at Iona College, principal players of the New York Philharmonic performed Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat, conducted by Maestro Hoffman and received a standing ovation. In February 2000, the WCS gave its debut at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck with its commission and world premier performance of Seymour Barab's Three Riddles in the Talmudic Tradition. The WCS returned last year to the Emelin Theatre to a sold out house with its world premier of Seymour Barab's How the Elephant Got Its Trunk.

This coming January, the WCS will return to the Emelin with a family program on the theme of Trains, premiering a new commission of Seymour Barab. Commissioning new works is an essential part of the WCS's mission. In 2000 at this Iona College series, the WCS premiered its commission of noted composer Jon Deak, with his Duo Concertante for Violin, Viola and Chamber Orchestra. New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and his violist wife, Karen Dreyfus were the soloists.

On WCS concerts, great performances of the standard repertoire are blended with lesser known but equally beautiful works. Innovative programming has also included concert themes such as "Music of the British Isles," "Music of the Heart," and "Music of Appalachia and Appalachian Spring," the latter with renown folk artists Jay Unger and Molly Mason. The WCS has presented many world class soloists in its performances. These have included: harpist Barbara Allen, violinists Glenn Dicterow and Yuri Kharenko, violists Karen Dreyfus and Emanuel Vardi, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, oboist Matt Sullivan, bassoonist Lennie Hindell and tenor Robert White.

This season under the direction of Maestro Hoffman, the WCS continues with its carefully crafted programming. You will be treated to outstanding soloists and inspired performances of some of the greatest works of German composers over the past three centuries; from Gluck to Beethoven to Schumann to Schoenberg. The richness and rewards are here.

Come join our adventure!

Barry Charles Hoffman
Founder and Artistic Director

Barry Charles Hoffman

Mr. Hoffman has made his musical mark on Westchester County as conductor, energetic advocate of new music and tireless champion of music as a vital thread of the community fabric. He was schooled at the Manhattan School of Music, receiving his bachelor's degree in violin performance. Mr. Hoffman has studied conducting with John Miner and, more recently, David Gilbert, and counts his participation in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Conducting Institute and the Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conducting Studies among his most valued educational experiences.

Barry Charles Hoffman has been primarily noted for his highly engaging and moving performances with the Westchester Chamber Symphony, which he founded in 1984 and continues to serve as Artistic Director. Reviewers have called the WCS's performances under Maestro Hoffman "imaginative," "exuberant," "daring," and "reverent." His versatility on the podium has been showcased at the WCS's Iona College Series, where his innovative mix of newly commissioned works and standard favorites have won consistent acclaim.

Maestro Hoffman is also creator of the many outreach programs of the WC0 which include: Annual Jazz Institute for Homeless Children (Westhab Family Center in Elmsford), Annual Composers of the Future Program (in collaboration with Songcatchers of New Rochelle), and Annual Student Piano Competition of Contemporary American Composers (New Rochelle Public Library).

Maestro Hoffman is now embarking on the creation of a second orchestra, the Harlem Chamber Orchestra, which will be based in Harlem, New York. Conducted by Maestro Hoffman, the HCO will be comprised predominantly of African American musicians. The Harlem Chamber Orchestra's mission will be to perform standard orchestral repertoire mixed with repertoire that reflects African American cultural themes, and to provide New York City's Harlem area schools with an infusion of ongoing classical music workshops and programs. He and his wife, Adele, herself a WCS violinist and orchestral music teacher in the Bronxville Public Schools, reside in New Rochelle.

Robert Sherman
Host and Narrator

Robert Sherman

Broadcaster, writer, teacher and radio personality, Robert Sherman is probably best known for his work at WQXR, where he has been Program Director, Executive Producer and (currently) Senior Consultant. A Westchester resident for well over thirty years, Robert Sherman has long been indispensable to the musical life of the region. For twenty four years he presided in "The Listening Room," and he continues to present such award-winning series on the station as "Woody's Children," "Metropolitan Opera Previews" and "The McGraw Hill Company's Young Artists Showcase." He writes a weekly music column for the Westchester section of The New York Times and recently co-authored The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Music.

Symphony Personnel
2011-2012 Season

Violin I
Alex Abayev, Concertmaster
Jee Sun Lee, Assistant
Concertmaster
Andrew Wise
Adele Hoffman
Funda Cizmecioglu
Erin Benim
Hyun Jung Joo
Shelby Yamin
Violin II
Ben Hellman, principal
Tetyana Byelgorodska
Sara Franklin
Evrin Dede
Nataliya Samulova
Marina Fragoulis
Nadezhda Meykson
Jane Kittredge
Chie Yoshinaka

Violin II
Joel Rudin, principal
Nikki Federman
Ting-Ying Chang-Chien
Midori Witkoski
Lakshmi Thorne
Alice Model
Gregory Williams
Elise Frawley

Viola
Joel Rudin, principal
Claude Chew
Joanna Sirlin
Nikki Federman
Kim Uwate
Lakshmi Thorne
Alice Model
Ting-Ying Chang-Chien
Lindsay Bohl

Cello
George Dewar, principal
Daryl Nuccio
Peter Howard
Natalia Galebsky
Gilberta Gelaj
Suji Kim
Reenat Pinchas
Anne Marie Tranchida

Bass
Anthony Morris, principal
Nathaniel Chase
Nicholas Jones

Flute I
Kaoru Hinata

Flute II
Koaki Shinkai

Oboe I
Mark Synder

Oboe II/English Horn
Katie Scheele

Clarinet I
Allen Blustine

Clarinet II
DeMarus Allen-Batieste

Bass Clarinet
Sara Phillips

Bassoon I
Leonard Hindell

Bassoon II
Monica Ellis
William Hestand

Harp
Kathryn Andrews

Horn I
John-Morgan Bush

Horn II
Luiza-Raab Pontecorvo

Horn III
Steven Bobbitt

Horn IV
Darlene Kaukoranta

Trumpet I
Brad Siroky

Trumpet II
Arthur Murray

Trombone I
Erik Bestman

Trombone II
Sara A. Lewis

Trombone III
Jonathan Greenberg

Tuba
Justin Clarkson

Keyboard/Harpsicord
Stephen Rapp

Timpani and Principal Percussion
David Cox

Percussion
Gerard Gordon
Brandon Silinco

Librarian/Administrative Assistant
Ben Hellman

Operations Manager
Rosemarie Costellano

Board of Directors

Eugene Mittelgluck, President
Adele Hoffman, Vice President/Secretary
Dr. Norman Gordon, Treasurer
Paul Feiner, Homeless Shelter Outreach Coordinator
Yuhanna Edwards

Executive Director

Barry Charles Hoffman

Advisory Board

David Amram
Elizabeth Fleischer
David Gilbert
Joanne Murphy
Zachery Sheer
Robert Sherman

Volunteers

Bob Bengis
Harrison Brussel
Mira Bramson
Rene Escala
Nancy Gibbs
Betty Goldstein
Joan Goldstein
Sam Goldstein
Dr. Norman Gordon
Rhoda Khan
Elaine and Gene Mittelgluck
Eleanor Seifter

Ushers

Olivia Brustra
Nora Gerson