Top musicians from Central New York's Symphoria Orchestra will wrap SUNY Oswego’s Ke-nekt’ Chamber Music Series with a free, live virtual concert by the Salt City String Quartet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 28.
Consisting of violinists Peter Rovit and (pictured) Sonya Williams, violist Arvilla Wendland and cellist Heidi Hoffman, the quartet will begin the program with Antonin Dvořák’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 “American.” Trevor Jorgensen, chair and associate professor of Oswego’s music department, will join them for Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Quintet in Bb Major, Op. 34.
While tickets are free, reservations are required via tickets.oswego.edu.
As a chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist. Rovit has performed throughout the United States and at music festivals such as Aspen, Taos, Yellow Barn, Hot Springs, Skaneateles and Musical Spring in Saint Petersburg (Russia).
A concerto competition winner at both Hartt School and at SUNY Stony Brook, Rovit has also performed as a soloist with the Montgomery Symphony, the Fort Smith Symphony, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Tuscaloosa Symphony. He was a recipient of the prestigious Montgomery Symphony Violin Fellowship, has been a member of the Quartet Oklahoma, Associate Concertmaster of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and Concertmaster of the Tuscaloosa Symphony.
Williams is currently the assistant concertmaster of Symphoria. Prior to this position, she played with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. She has also performed with many other orchestras in our region including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Binghamton Philharmonic as guest principal second and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra.
She is actively engaged in chamber music and recitals in the Syracuse area including performing with the Skaneateles Festival, Civic Morning Musicals Recital Series, LaVeck Concerts, Society for New Music, Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, Temple Concord Concert Series and Syracuse Stage musical productions. Williams is also a member of the Symphoria String Quartet that plays concerts, educational performances and conducts masterclasses in schools as well as in the community.
Wendland, who has earned the Kay Logan Chamber Music Award and Drs. Norman Roland and Marilyn Pearl Special Achievement Award, has performed at Alice Tully Hall, with the Quartz Mountain Chamber Players and as part of the Brightmusic Chamber Music Series. Wendland was featured in the Young Artist Concert Series at the Aspen Music Festival, and has also performed at the National Conference of the Society of Composers and for the Oklahoma and Alabama Viola Societies.
In the Central New York area, Wendland has performed for the Society for New Music, Ensemble X, Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, Civic Morning Musicals’ Live! at the Everson, Joyful Noise, Merry Go Round Theater and Cornell’s Mayfest. Previous appointments include principal violist of the Mississippi Symphony and violist of the Mississippi Quartet, and assistant principal violist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
Hoffman made her debut as soloist with the Seattle Symphony at the age of 17. She has performed in North and South America, Europe and Japan with such diverse groups as the American Symphony, Jupiter Symphony, Tchaikovsky Chamber Orchestra, Northwest Sinfonietta, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the new music group Ensemble X. She also has performed with the rock bands Paige and Plant (Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant) and Heart.
Hoffman is presently a member of Symphoria in Central New York, the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in Chicago, and has served on the faculties of Ithaca College, Wells College and Cornell University. Additionally, she has recorded for the Albany and Fleur de Son labels.
At Oswego, Jorgensen currently conducts the college’s wind ensemble, teaches applied saxophone, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon, coaches chamber music and small group jazz, teaches conducting and lectures on popular music and jazz. He also has been invited as guest artist and clinician at several international universities across Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.
As a saxophonist, clarinetist, and bassoonist, he has performed with Dorian Winds, Imani Winds, Ying Quartet, Aviv String Quartet, Central Winds, Oswego Opera Company, Symphony Syracuse, Bacchus Saxophone Quartet, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and the Northwind Quintet. As soloist, Jorgensen won the SAI American Composer’s Concerto Competition and Elmhurst College Jazz Festival Outstanding Soloist Award.