ASO presents full weekend of music in Troy and Cohoes — for starters
TROY, N.Y. » The Albany Symphony Orchestra is finishing its season with its annual American Music Festival.
It’s an ambitious, awesome event that takes place over a full month at various communities. You might call it a marathon event, consisting of a series of sprints.
It’s titled TrailBlaze, NY and is a salute to the 750 miles of trails that unite New York State. To honor the program, the ASO will perform at area cities along the Empire Trail. It is a series of walking and cycling rail trails that unites the state from Manhattan to Canada and Albany to Buffalo.
However, it’s not a simple performance event. Each stop includes elements of a festival that can be enjoyed by children and parents, as well as lovers of classical music. In other words, TrailBlaze, N.Y. is a celebration of family through music.
For instance, in Hudson there is an outdoor sunset chamber music concert at historically preserved Olana, the home of the Hudson Valley School painter Frederic Church at 7 p.m. June 25. There are also many children and family events starting at 5 p.m.
The previous day, Friday June 24, there are a number of activities at the Basilica in Hudson starting at 10 am and culminating with an ASO concert at 7:30 p.m.
It all starts this weekend, Friday to Sunday, June 2-5, in Troy and Cohoes, with a free dress rehearsal of the Dogs of Desire at 3:30 pm. at Cohoes Music Hall. That evening at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Gloria Chang offers a piano recital.
Friday night the Dogs of Desire offer a concert consisting of five premiers at the Cohoes Music Hall. “The Dogs”, as they are popularly known, is an 18-piece ensemble, and invariably are referred to as cutting edge. If, like so many people including me, you don’t know what that means — think of it in terms innovative and accessible. Perhaps the best description would be a “classical rock band.”
For example, one piece on the program composed by Jack Frerer is a combination of five songs by a popular local band Bear Grass. Composer and lead singer Katie Hamman says pieces of four songs are in their repertoire and one was written for this concert.
She describes the band, which is well-known for local festivals, outdoor concerts and the bar scene as “Indie Rock, with folk elements.” She adds that Bear Grass does have a country feel, but she refuses to lock herself in a specific genre. Indeed, she believes the variety of influences in their music is one of the reasons Dogs Of Desire composer, Frerer, selected their music for his new piece.
Hamman says she is excited to sing with Dogs of Desire and is anxious to hear her composition performed with strings. “In the back of my mind, I always hear strings when I compose. It will be exciting to hear my creations reinterpreted.” Hamman will repeat the program when TrailBlaze plays Hudson.
It would appear Hamman is the ideal musician to represent this area. Though raised and introduced to her musical tastes in Seattle, she is closely connected to Troy and the Capital Region. She studied musical composition of St. Rose College in Albany while forming her own band. She served as Executive Director for the Troy BID (Business Improvement District) for six years. One of her responsibilities was to select musicians for the many street festivals in the city, including Rockin’ on the River.
She and her husband now run The Maples Estate, a wedding and event planning business in Schoharie.
Her career as an arts administrator has her holding the work of the ASO in high regard both as an artistic achievement and an economic generator.
“This kind of thing brings a community together and introduces people to arts venues, historic sites and gives them pride in their own community,” she says.
Saturday is another full day in Troy. Events start at St. Paul’s Church at 9:30 a.m., continue with percussion recital at 3 p.m. and climax with a full symphony concert 7:30 p.m. at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, The concert will feature the American premiere of “Prelude and Scherzo” composed by John Williams.
Following the concert there is a Late Night Lounge event at Lucas Confectionary, starting at 10 p.m.
It all comes to a climax Sunday with free performances 11:30 p.m. at Monument Square and a group percussion performance at Riverfront Park at 4 pm. A First Draughts: reading and beer tasting ends the Troy/ Cohoes part of the festival at the TSBMH at 7 p.m.
TrailBlaze moves to Schuylerville June 11, Kingston June 19, Hudson June 24 & 25, Schenectady July 1, Albany July 2, and Amsterdam July 3.
Many events are free, but others have charges. For information to either trailblazeny.org or albanysymphonyorchestra.com or call (518) 465-4755 ext. 144