For the Miami Valley Today
TROY — The Drawing Room Chamber Series at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center continues on Nov. 30 with the Western Ohio Tuba Quartet (WOTQ).
The WOTQ was founded in January of 2013 and is comprised of four current members of the Ohio Valley British Brass Band: Francis Laws, Ted Shuttleworth, Michael Gallehue, and Denny Seifried. All are experienced performers and retired music educators who enjoy making music together and entertaining audiences with this rather unusual combination of instruments.
The WOTQ consists of two euphoniums, sometimes called tenor tubas, and two bass tubas. This unique instrumentation delivers a rich and resonant sound that simply needs to be experienced in person to appreciate. The ensemble performs a variety of musical styles, from arrangements of classical composers such as Gabrieli, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, to modern American music, marches, show tunes, and jazz. Seating will be limited, and free reservations are required. Join this chamber concert at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center.
The next Drawing Room Chamber Concert will be on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 with Musica. This 18-member chamber choir will light up the Hayner Ballroom. Flutist Christopher Chaffee will return to the series on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and Amanda Roberts and friends will take the March 29 Drawing Room Chamber Concert. Closing the season on Tuesday, April 26, will be Steven Aldredge’s own quartet Tutti Solisti. This final concert always brings surprises and special treats.
The Drawing Room Chamber Series at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is a special opportunity to experience professional musicians and orchestral instruments in an intimate atmosphere. These concerts are usually composed of up to five musicians. One thing that is unique to chamber concerts is that the musicians are presenting music that that they have chosen themselves. This is not practical for a larger philharmonic where the pieces that are performed may have been chosen by committee agreement.
The chamber experience is intimate because the music that they perform are pieces that especially move them and pieces that they love to play. The musicians will have the time to talk about why they are playing the music that they chose. They will share bits of wisdom and history and help you to understand what the music means to them.
Another thing unique to Hayner’s chamber concerts is that the audience is seated on the same level and in close proximity to the musicians. One tends to hear the instruments with the entire body and not just the ears. The Drawing Room Chamber Concert series is a rich and unique way to experience the same instruments that young people are learning in school.
The series is curated and hosted by Steven Aldredge of Wright State University. Aldredge is a gifted collaborative pianist, as well as a soloist and published composer in his own right.
The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is located at 301 West Main Street in Troy. Most concerts, including the Drawing Room Chamber Concert Series, are free to the public. You may obtain your tickets at www.TroyHayner.org/music. Just navigate to the Drawing Room Chamber Concert page and select your favorite concert or phone the Hayner at 937-339-0457.
