News + Notes

February 18, 2008

Greetings All and Good Wishes for this new year - 2008!!

I've been swamped with the holidays, a big fund raiser concert for PV and finally finishing our master for New American Masters - Volume 2.  It is finally into Albany Records for production and I can turn my attention to all the things that I've gotten behind on over the last three months!

In November I performed on the New York Flute Club concert series with my trio, Palisades Virtuosi  and it went really well - our New American Masters, works by Aaron Grad, Carlos Franzetti, Brian Schober, Robert Manno and John Lampkin, were very well received.  3 of our composers were there at the concert and that made it very special to us!
 

with longtime coach, teacher & friend - Trudy Kane	onstage at the NYFC concert

PV's 2nd concert of our season series featured ensembles from the Art of Motion dance studio in Ridgewood, NJ performing choreographed works to our live performances.  A first for us, it was a big hit with our patrons and was a lot of fun for us too! We also premiered a new piece by Randall Faust - "Three American Portraits".  We have really created quite a body of repertoire for our instrumentation now, this latest features a travelling toccata, a folksong middle movement and a big marching finale and our audiences loved it.

Here I am with my colleagues, Ron & Don, and composer Randall Faust

Coming up are another PV concert in March with a world premiere by Gwyneth Walker and another Legacy Duo (flute & harp) recital in April. I am also going to be singing(!) on a concert in April.  Last year on April Fool's Day I played flute in a comedic concert with Tenor, Anthony Laciura and Glass Armonica/Theremin player, Dennis James. I also sang the Rossini "Cat Duet" with soprano, Julie Schmidt.  It was a performance so wacky and so totally fun that we were asked to repeat it this year on April 27. Check out the schedule page for all the details!

Please be sure to come up and say hello if you make it to one of my performances this spring!  I'll check back in soon and keep you posted!  Have a great St. Patrick's day and enjoy your Easter/Passover holidays!

all the best,
Margaret

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News Archives

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November 2, 2007

The November 2007 issue of the New York Flute Club Newsletter features an interview with me in conjunction with the Palisades Virtuosi concert  on November 18th:

MARGARET SWINCHOSKI AND THE PALISADES VIRTUOSI  - Interview by Katherine Fink

"I have known Margaret Swinchoski for many years and have always been impressed by her energy and enthusiasm for performing. As a resident of Rockland County, home to long stretches of the Hudson River Palisades, I have been riveted by the progress of the Palisades Virtuosi, an ensemble that started with one concert and is now a powerhouse conduit for new repertoire. It is inspiring to see a local group with a focus on living composers grow and flourish in this region and bring so much music into the lives of their audiences..."  more...

You may view and sign my guestbook here!

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October 17, 2007

Dear Friends -

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I last checked in here.  First off - I have a new guestbook!  I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to drop me a line!

Since August, I've been incredibly busy with editing our latest Palisades Virtuosi CD - New American Masters - Volume 2, and preparing for our first Palisades Virtuosi concert of the season on October 6th.  Our premiere for this concert was "Wind-Space", a 9-11 commemorative piece by composer Brian Schober.  Written for Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet & Piano, it is a very effective and haunting piece with extended solo passages for the Alto Flute.

Here I am with composer, Brian Schober

We will be performing this piece again on our November 18th concert for the New York Flute Club.   Also on that program will be 4 more of our commissioned works - "Three Scenes From the Mountains" by Robert Manno, "Lepidopterology" by Aaron Grad,  "George Washington Slept Here!" by John Lampkin and "Four Movements for Virtuosi" by Grammy-Award winning composer, Carlos Franzetti.  These works (with the exception of the Manno, which received its NY premiere in 2005) will be receiving their New York premiere on this program.  But before I ever get to that concert  there are two more PV concerts - one for the Rossmoor Music Association in Monroe Township,  NJ and another in Morristown at the Abendmusik program at the United Church.  For both of these concerts we will perform our "South (&North!) of the Border" program with works by Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Franzetti among others.  (Please see the schedule page for more information on these concerts.)

In late September I made a trip back to my hometown, Johnson, VT, to attend my 25th College Reunion and receive an Outstanding Alumni Award from my alma mater.  It was extremely gratifying to be recognized by the college and it was wonderful to be back on the campus where I spent so many hours studying, practicing and performing.
 
 

Here I am with JSC President Barbara Murphy

Dibden Center for the Arts - what a view!

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Here is "Legacy Duo" performing last year at the Chappaqua Chamber Series

 I also have two recitals with harpist Emily Mitchell on October 28th & November 4th.  We'll be doing a program called "The Devil's Trill", appropriately titled for the season!  In addition to the title work, a sonata for violin by Tartini that we have transcribed for flute & harp, this program will feature "Dance of the White Lotus under the Silver Moon" by Stella Sung, John Corigliano's "Voyage", the Sonata for Flute & Harp by Adrian Shaposhnikov and a World Premiere of "Tarot" by Barry Hartglass.

(Please see schedule page for more information on these concerts.)

In the meantime I'm trying to finish the CD editing and keep pace with my 6 year old twins!  OY!

I hope to see you soon at one of these concerts - please be sure to sign my guestbook before you leave!

I'll check back in soon!

all the best -
Margaret

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Previous Newsletter

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August 27, 2007

Well, here it is - my new website!  First I would like to thank Gabrielle Mappone at TurtleBug Graphics for all the work she did to create my original site.  Since I now run the Palisades Virtuosi site I decided to recreate and manage my own site so that I can keep in better touch with schedule changes and happenings in my world!

So - I am back from my travels this summer.  The month of June found me again at Wolf Trap, playing for the NY Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company as they regaled Washington area audiences with a fun-filled production of "The Mikado".  We always have a great time there - and - believe it or not - really great Thai food in a tiny little strip mall near Tysons' Corner!!

Our PV season finale concert was on June 9 (see pictures here) and featured a commissioned work by Jazz Legend, Dick Hyman.  Mr Hyman came to the cabaret-style concert and performed an impromptu set of variations on "I Got Rhythm" for our audience!  That was great fun!

I spent two weeks in Ohio again at the annual Lancaster Festival.  This festival is modeled on the idea of the Spoleto festival with all disciplines of art & music represented - classical, pops, and chamber music along with dance, visual art, choral, jazz, blues, folk and country performances are juxtaposed throughout the 10-day event.  The centerpiece of the festival is its orchestra, celebrating its 20th year this year, made up of musicians from all over the country, and even some from other countries.  We enjoy wonderful concert experiences together and as we are hosted by the wonderful folks in this town, we look forward to returning each year to our 2nd home.
 

David Hunsicker, trumpet

Elizabeth Robertson, oboe & Michael Davis, violin

This year I was fortunate enough to have several great performing opportunities.  As principal flutist with the festival I was featured with my colleagues, David Hunsicker - trumpet, Elizabeth Robertson - oboe and Michael Davis - violin  playing Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 on the opening concert, on two different chamber concerts (Debussy - Sonata for Flute, Harp, Viola and Francaix - Woodwind Quartet) and was very happy to do my favorite Beethoven Symphony, No. 6, on the Chamber Orchestra Concert.  Also in the mix were two Pops concerts that included Rimskii-Korsakov - "Cappricio Espagnol", Copland - Rodeo Suite, Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 with John Kimura Parker (Wow - isn't he something??) and several other guest artists!  As always, it was great fun!
 

Debussy - Sonata with  Heather Garner, viola  and Anastasia Jellison, harp

Francaix Quartet - with Elizabeth Robertson - oboe,  Linda Morton-Fisher - bassoon and Les Nicholas - clarinet

Back home from the festival, I joined the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for Prokofiev - 5th Symphony in the first week of August and then headed off to Vermont for a much-needed respite and family reunion at my brother's lake-side cabin in South Hero.  That was beautiful!

The lake at sunset in South Hero, Vt.

Back to New Jersey where PV laid down the final tracks of what will be New American Masters - Volume Two - due to release on February 1, 2008.

Now I am regrouping for another season with Palisades Virtuosi, Legacy Duo and all the various other ensembles with which I play.

I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the summer - check back in here in a few weeks for more news - look at my schedule page and try to catch one of my concerts this season!  I'll look forward to meeting you if you come!

All the best,
Margaret

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