24 •MARCH 2011
THE PETALUMA POST
Shared Talents: Two
Orchestras Unite
T
he Santa Rosa
Junior College
(SRJC) Orchestra, conducted
by Cynthia Weichel, will
join forces with the College
of Marin (COM) Orchestra,
conducted by Tara Flandreau,
for two performances. Conductors Flandreau and Weichel unite their community
college orchestras to present
two concerts of celebrated orchestral music.
The first performance will
take place on Saturday, March
19, at 8 PM at the Glaser
Center, 547 Mendocino Ave
in Santa Rosa. The repeat
performance will take place
on Sunday, March 20. at 4
PM at the Unity Church
in Marin, 600 Palm Drive
in Novato. There is a $10
suggested donation to
attend the concert with all
proceeds benefiting student
scholarships in music at both
colleges.
The concert in Novato is
in honor of renowned violin
teacher and COM faculty
member Charles Meacham.
The highlight of the program
features both conductors and
concertmasters joining as
soloists to perform Vivaldi’s
Concerto for Four Violins.
Flandreau, Weichel and the
COM Concertmaster, Joanna
Pinckney, are former students
of Charles Meachem.
The other featured works
on the concert program
include the powerful Egmont
Over ture by Beethoven
and the beautiful Habanera
by Chabrier which will be
performed by the SRJC
Orchestra. The COM
Orchestra will present the
exciting Classical Symphony
by Prokofiev, followed by
both orchestras combining
for the energetic and cheerful
Sy m p h o n y No. 1 0 4 by
Haydn.
Ta r a Fl a n d re a u i s a
violinist, violist, composer/
improviser and conductor.
She is chair of the Performing
Arts Department at the
College of Marin, in
Kentfield, California,
where she teaches music
theory and composition,
ear training, strings, directs
the chamber music program
and is conductor of the
COM Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to teaching,
Tara per forms classical,
contemporary, and improvised
music in the U.S. and abroad
with many varied ensembles.
Tara received her Bachelors
and Masters degrees in music
from Dominican College
and is currently working on
a doctoral degree in music at
Columbia University in New
York.
Cynthia Weichel, who
assumed the baton of the
SRJC orchestra in 1999, is a
native of Santa Rosa. She is
an alumna of the SRJC and
Sonoma State University
w h e re s h e re c e i ve d h e r
Bachelor’s degree in music.
She further pursued a
Master’s degree in conducting
from CSU, Sacramento. From
1985-1998 Ms. Weichel was
the Assistant Conductor of
the Santa Rosa Symphony
Yo u t h O r c h e s t r a . A s a
professional violinist, she has
been a longtime member of
the Napa Valley Symphony.
On the faculty of the SRJC,
Cynthia also teaches Classical
Music Appreciation.
PETALUMAPOST.COM
Community
Music
Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra
Presents Winter Concert
T
wo of the four
winners of this
season’s Youth
Orchestra concerto competition will be
featured at the Santa Rosa
Symphony Youth Orchestra
Winter Concert on Sunday,
March 13, at Sonoma Country Day School’s Jackson Theater, 4400 Day School Place
in Santa Rosa.
The program, which
begins at the familyfriendly hour of 3 PM,
will be conducted by Santa
Rosa Symphony Assistant
C o n d u c t o r a n d Yo u t h
Orchestra Conductor Dr.
Richard Loheyde. Tickets are
$10 for students and seniors;
$12 for adults. To avoid
the long lines (previous YO
concerts have sold more than
150 seats at the door), call
54-MUSIC 707.546.8742
or purchase online at
santarosasymphony.com.
The program consists of
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony;
Respighi’s Pines of Rome
(with the Sonoma State
University Brass Ensemble);
Mozart’s Violin Concerto
No. 4, featuring concerto
competition winner 17-yearold Kirsten Skabelund of
Santa Rosa; and Mozart’s Flute
Concerto No. 1, featuring 16year-old Hannah Dyslin of
Santa Rosa.
Currently in its 52nd
s e a s o n , t h e Sa n t a Ro s a
Symphony Youth Orchestra
has 52 members ranging in
age from 12 to 19.
Council on Aging Needs Drivers!
T
ransportation
volunteers are
needed at Council on Aging, a
private nonprofit that has been
serving seniors in Sonoma
County since 1966. Their
purpose is to help seniors
continue to live independently and stay actively connected
with the community. We provide Meals on Wheels, money
management, legal services,
friendly visitors, information
and referrals, transportation
and more. At this time, their
transportation program is
in need of volunteers in the
community who would enjoy
transporting seniors to medical appointments, grocery
stores, social visits and activities. They are looking for kind
and compassionate volunteers
who will bring a warm smile
and uplifting conversation
while driving seniors to their
destinations. Volunteers may
drive from as little as one
ride per month up to 3 or 4
hours per week. If you would
like to donate some time,
please call Michele Leonard at
707.525.0143, ext. 147.