Composer John Harbison and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s principal double bass Edwin Barker will join host Martin Bookspan for the “Joys of Tanglewood†at the Berkshire Museum on Tuesday, July 31, at 10 a.m. The topic will be the “2007 Festival of Contemporary Music and New Music for Double Bass.â€
The Joys of Tanglewood series, offered every Tuesday through August 21, is presented by the Berkshire Museum and the Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers. Tickets are $12 ($10 for Tanglewood Friends and Berkshire Museum members). Tickets are available by telephone at 413-443-7171, extension 10.
John Harbison’s principal compositions include four string quartets, three symphonies, the cantata The Flight Into Egypt, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1987, and three operas including The Great Gatsby, commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera and premiered to great acclaim in December 1999. Recent works include his Requiem for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Piano Sonata No. 2 for Robert Levin, String Quartet No. 4 for the Orion String Quartet, The Violists' Notebook, Four Psalms (commissioned by the Israeli Consulate for the Chicago Symphony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel), and Partita, a Minnesota Orchestra centennial commission.
Major revivals of The Great Gatsby took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in October 2000 and at the Metropolitan Opera in May 2002, Four Psalms was performed by the Cantata Singers of Boston in 2001, and by the American Composers Orchestra in New York in November 2002, and his opera Full Moon in March was presented in May 2003. As conductor, Harbison has led a number of leading orchestras and chamber groups including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, and the Handel and Haydn Society. For many years he has been principal guest conductor of Emmanuel Music in Boston, leading performances of Bach cantatas, 17th-century motets, and new music.
Acknowledged as an accomplished solo and ensemble player, Edwin Barker has concertized in North America, Europe, and the Far East. Barker has performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Chamber Players and Collage, a Boston-based contemporary music ensemble. He is also a frequent guest performer with the Boston Chamber Music Society at NEC’s Jordan Hall. He gave the world premiere of James Yannatos' Bass Concerto – written especially for him – with Alea III and subsequently performed it with Collage. He was the featured soloist for the New England premiere of Gunther Schuller's Bass Concerto, conducted by the composer, with the Boston Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Barker’s major teaching affiliations include the Tanglewood Music Center, Boston University and New England Conservatory. Mr. Barker’s solo CD recordings include Three Sonatas for Double Bass on Boston Records and James Yannatos’s Variations for Solo Contrabass on Albany Records. His other double bass teachers have included Peter Mercurio, Richard Stephan, and Angelo LaMariana.
Upcoming guests will be: orchestra manager Raymond Wellbaum, personnel manager Lynn Larsen, and archivist Bridget Carr on August 7; production trio Ira Siff, Michael Deegan, and Sarah Conly on August 14; and composer John Williams on August 21.
Series host Martin Bookspan is best known as “the voice of Lincoln Center,†a role he has had since the first Live from Lincoln Center in 1976. During his distinguished career in print and broadcasting he has worked with the BSO, the New York Philharmonic, classical station WQXR, and channels 7 and 11 in New York City. He is the author of 101 Masterpieces of Music and Their Composers and Consumer Reports Reviews: Classical Recordings.
The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street on Route 7 in Downtown Pittsfield. The galleries are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Berkshire Museum at (413) 443-7171, ext. 10, or visit www.berkshiremuseum.org .
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BRPC Votes in New Director, Bids Farewell to Matuszko
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The BRPC board voted Thursday to make Laura Brennan its next executive director.
Brennan is the economic development program manager for the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. She has been in the role since July 2023 but has been with BRPC since 2017, first serving as the senior planner of economic development.
She earned her bachelor's degree from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania and earned a graduate-level certificate in local government leadership and management from Suffolk University.
Brennan was the preferred candidate the Executive Search Committee, which voted last week to present her and candidate Jason Zogg to the full committee. Zogg withdrew his application on Wednesday.
Board members congratulated Brennan, who was in attendance, with Chair Douglas McNally saying they have her back.
The commission voted to create a three-person negotiation subcommittee with executive committee members Malcolm Fick, Buck Donovan, and Sam Haupt. They will negotiate benefits, compensation, and terms of employment.
Brennan will be taking over for retiring Executive Director Thomas Matuszko. Matuszko was appointed as executive director in 2018, having previously been a principal planner from 1997 to 2000 and then assistant director from 2001. The new director will be the fourth in nearly 60 years.
Matuszko gave his last executive director report, amending the bylaws and changing the wordage to be more inclusive among other notes.
McNally said he was grateful that he made sure to do that before his leave.
Since it was Matuszko's last meeting those in attendance thanked him for his time at the BRPC.
"I had to just say you have had a huge positive impact on the Berkshires and thank you," said McNally.
"Thanks for my internship, Tom, 20-plus years ago, and everything you've done for Berkshire County," said Sarif and Matuszko said he was happy to still see her here after this long.
"I think Laura has learned a lot from you, and so she'll just be able to carry on. And so tonight is a great night for Berkshire County," said Christine Rasmussen.
"It's really, it's been a great ride, and I've enjoyed it almost all the time," said Matuszko. "There have been only very few times that hasn't been extremely enjoyable and satisfying. So I mostly appreciate the support that you all have given me and delegates and alternates over the years have given me and provide our staff."
He urged them to have the same relationship with Brennan, and provide her the help and support to be successful.
"Thank you for all you've provided me with an opportunity, a great opportunity. I couldn't have asked for a better career."
Qwanell Bradley scored 33 points, and Adan Wicks added 29 as the Hoosac Valley boys basketball team won a Division 5 State Championship on Sunday. click for more
Adan Wicks scored 38 points, and the eighth-seeded Hoosac Valley basketball team Saturday rallied from a nine-point first-half deficit to earn a 76-67 win over top-seeded Drury in the Division 5 State Quarter-Finals. click for more
Caprese Conyers scored 22 points, and Kyana Summers had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go with eight assists as Pittsfield got back to the state semi-finals for the second year in a row. click for more
