Special Guest Artists Joins Concert at Hyde Hall

On July 23rd, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck return to Hyde Hall for a concert with special guest artists. Jörg-Michael Schwarz, violin, and Katrina Smith, viola, join the Musician of Ma’alwyck’s Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, director and violin, to perform Dvořák‘s Miniatures paired with the trio of George Templeton Strong.

The program draws on the insights of George Templeton Strong who chronicled the musical scene in early America in his diaries. His sons were friends of the Clarke family and spent time at Hyde Hall; a portrait of Louis Strong still hangs in the Drawing Room. In this elegant string trio, Strong's other son, George, a well-respected composer, is coupled with music from Antonin Dvořák and readings from Strong's insightful diaries

The artists are first-rate and promise a memorable performance. Jörg-Michael Schwarz is a prize winner in several international violin competitions, one of North America’s leading Baroque violinists, and co-founder and co-director of the award-winning REBEL-Ensemble for Baroque Music, one of the world's premier early music groups. Katrina Smith is a member of the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra since 1999, is Co-Principal Violist of the Dallas Opera Orchestra, and Assistant Principal Violist of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and substitutes regularly with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz is director and violinist of Musicians of Ma’alwyck, performs with the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra, teaches as an adjunct professor of violin and viola at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) and at Union College.

Jonathan Maney, Hyde Hall’s Executive Director points out that “George Templeton Strong was one of America’s most important 19th-century diarists. The fact that his son lived at Hyde Hall for many years makes this concert both fitting and fun.”

“George Templeton Strong, Jr. was a fascinating figure,” says Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz. “His musical works reflect the romanticism of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, full of harmonic color and intensity. We pair his trio with the music of Dvořák, who visited America in the 1890s, and left with an ample impression of America's musical potential. The program will include readings from the Strong diaries about 19th- century America and its culture.”

The Concert begins at 7:30 PM on Hyde Hall’s south lawn. Concertgoers can purchase through HydeHall.org or at Eventbrite. In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved to the Milford Community Center.