Virtuoso Elizabeth Pitcairn will play her Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius – a world-famous violin that dates to 1720 – in Forest Hills on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 pm.
Pitcairn, who also serves as president and artistic director of the Luzerne Music Center, will partner with pianist Barbara Podgurski to offer a program that includes Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. Entitled “The Red Violin Returns to Forest Hills,” the concert kicks off the 25th season for Musica Reginae Productions, a nonprofit that organizes live shows at The Church-in-the-Gardens at 50 Ascan Ave.
Always on Saturdays at 7:30 pm, the show’s prices run from $12.51 to $23.18. Here’s the rest of Musica Reginae’s 25th season.
Nov. 16: Postcards from New York. An evening of chamber music for piano and strings about visiting New York.
Jan. 25: Exceptional Women and Outrageous Puppets. Four-hands piano by Forest Hills-based husband-and-wife Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia.
March 29: Unsung Heroines: Celebrating Women’s History Month. Sarah Pratt (violin), Liuh Wen Ting (viola), Roberta Cooper (cello), and Podgurski (piano) render works by female composers.
May 3: Bunpuku! A Celebration of Asian American Heritage Month. Multi-instrumentalist Kaoru Watanabe explores traditional Japanese music through a contemporary American lens. Ranging from meditative contemplation to percussive festival music, he performs in a way that blurs the lines between in-the-moment improvisations and intricately structured compositions.
June 7: Jazz Night and Party: Season Finale. An evening of Jazz with special guests, stories, and extras with a reception to follow.
Children’s Concerts
Musica Reginae, whose executive and artistic director is Podgurski, also offers children’s concerts in the same place and on partnered dates.
The first one of the season is The Vibrant Violin on Oct. 5 at 4 pm. Pitcairn, Podgurski, and Beata Moon (another professional musician) discuss the beauty and history of the violin and show off the Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius. They also perform and participate in a Q&A.
Always on Saturdays at 4 pm, these shows are free. Here’s the rest of the schedule.
Nov. 16: Making Music with Friends. Learn how instruments “talk” to one another and how humans express personal stories through songs.
Jan. 25: Dynamic Duo. Find out what happens when four hands play a piano instead of just two.
March 29: Wonderful Women. Listen to music for piano and strings and learn about women who tell stories through their compositions.
May 3: Celebrating Asian American Music and Culture. Listen to music by Asian composers and learn about Asian instruments and their influence on Western music.
June 7: A Celebration of Black Culture in America. Learn about Jazz, Opera, and African American Spirituals.
Editor’s note: The Church-in-the-Gardens is in an area where parking is restricted. Organizers will give temporary parking passes to attendees who drive.
