Music on a Sunday Afternoon: Hudson Valley Chamber Ensemble

The Hudson Valley Chamber Ensemble returns to the Teaneck Public Library! Founded in 2020, it has a varied repertoire that includes duos, trios, quartet, and a woodwind quintet with: Norman Dee (flute), a graduate of the Juilliard School, has been on the faculties of the University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He has given numerous recitals in New England, Boston, New York and Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as concerto appearances with the Boston Pops, The State Orchestra of Sao Paulo, and the New York Virtuosi. Mr. Dee sits on the boards of the Hugo Kauder Society and Music for all Seasons. Ann Churukian (oboe), who earned an A.B. in music from Oberlin College and an M.M. in oboe performance from Southern Methodist University, has performed as an orchestral musician in Texas, Illinois, and Indiana, and since 1989 has been a freelance musician in the Hudson Valley, where she has performed with Hudson Opera Theatre, Cappella Festiva Chamber Choir, Putnam Chorale, and Orange County Classic Choral Society, among others. She is currently a member of the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra, and the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra, and she has been a frequent performer at the annual Hudson Valley BachFest. Ms. Churukian is Assistant Music Librarian emerita at Vassar College. Leigh Myers (clarinet), with a Master's Degree from the Julliard School, is an experienced orchestral and chamber music clarinetist. He was principal clarinetist of the Haifa Symphony in Israel, as well as principal clarinetist of the Queensborough Orchestra, Manhasset Bay Opera, Great Neck Symphony, Great Neck Philharmonic and New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra. He was also a founding member of the Greater Newburgh Symphony. In addition, he toured with the South Florida Symphony, the Goldovsky Opera, as well as Europe with the New Jersey Wind Symphony. Terry Watson (horn) played horn professionally after having studied horn at Manhattan School of Music and Hunter College. In 1976, she formed the Metropolitan Brass Quartet and was awarded a New York State Council on the Arts Grant where the group was artists in residence at Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NY. In 1980, Ms. Watson received her Master’s in Music Therapy from New York University. As adjunct faculty at NYU, she has enjoyed a long career as a Music Therapist. Five years ago Ms. Watson returned to the horn and has joined several community orchestras including the UN Symphony Orchestra and chamber music ensembles. In 2018, she toured Spain and France with the New Jersey Wind Symphony. In 2020, she helped establish the Hudson Valley Chamber Musicians. She is very grateful to be able to have music in her life in so many capacities. Elisabeth Romano (bassoon) is a freelance bassoonist who performs with a variety of professional classical music ensembles in the New York area. Beginning in the early 1990's, she taught at Bard College, Marist College and the Mountain Laurel Waldorf School. For the past 30 years, she has taught and performed at Vassar College. Her love of communicating the power of music to all humans has led her to her work as a music therapist, educator and most recently with the formation of Valley Chamber Winds. She is bassoonist with Hudson Valley Chamber Musicians and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra. Donald Venezia (bassoon, Emeritus) graduated with a BM in Performance from Fredonia University and worked toward his Masters at The Manhattan School of Music. He has performed orchestrally throughout New York State, New Jersey, Western Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and also as an Opera bassoonist on tour through West Virginia. In the past, he has performed with The Pittsburgh Symphony, The Buffalo Philharmonic, New York Grand Opera and Piccolo Opera Theatre of West Virginia, among others. Donald Venezia is also a former Music Director of WQXR-FM, New York City. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Teaneck Public Library. Information on joining the Friends is available at https://teanecklibrary.org/friends/. Teaneck - Auditorium