On August 6, 2011, Central Park Plaza will be filled with the sounds of American Musicals to celebrate its grand opening. The Summer Rhapsody Music Festival will inaugurate the park with a 50 piece orchestra, directed by Miguel Rosario, Artistic Director of Summer Rhapsody. Comprised of mostly professional musicians, the orchestra will perform selections from classic American Musicals, including favorites from West Side Story, Chicago, The Sound of Music, Wicked, and others.
In the weeks leading up to the concert, we will be featuring several musicians from the orchestra, to give you an inside look at the people behind the music!
Leading the orchestra as concertmaster is Tim Kopf. Tim has been the Orchestra Director at Valparaiso High School since 1995. During his tenure, the VHS orchestra has made regular appearances at the IN Music Organization Contests and finished in every place from 1st to 8th at the state finals. As a professional violinist, he has been involved with many community orchestras throughout Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and has been in performances at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. This year he returns to VHS to start his 20th year of teaching in the public schools.
Principal trumpet William Camp currently resides in Chicago, originally from Niles, Michigan. Camp earned his music degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The University of Michigan. His Principal instructors include Gene Young, Louis Davidson, Armando Ghitalla, Arnold Jacobs, Richard Heemer and Thomas Crown. Camp has appeared with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Chicago Pops Orchestra, Lake Forest Symphony, South Bend Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Kenosha Symphony, American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and the Westwind Brass. His recording with the Dallas Winds and Chicago Chamber Brass, called “The Brass and the Band,” has received national acclaim. Currently he performs with the St. Joseph summer band, the Northwest Indiana Symphony, Chicago Classic Brass and various other organizations in and around Chicago.
Serving as principal horn, John Schreckengost earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Butler University. He earned the MM in Music History and Horn Performance at Bowling Green State University where he served as Teaching Assistant in Renaissance and Baroque Music. He has performed with the Northwest Indiana Symphony, the Israel Sinfonietta, the Haifa Symphony, Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Illinois Philharmonic, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Nutcracker Ballet at the Arie Crown, Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera, Grant Park orchestras, Fulcrum Point, the Contemporary Chamber Players, and the Chicago Classic Brass Quintet. His arrangements for horn ensemble have been featured by the CSO horn section and by the Chicago Horn Consort. He also is an adjunct instructor at Valparaiso University.
Thomas Stark is originally from the Chicago area, and received the Bachelor of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. Mr. Stark is trombonist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Trombonist with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. He is a founding member of the Chicago Trombone consort, The Chicago Trombone Quartet, and the Lincoln Park Brass. As a prominent freelancer in the Midwest, he is a frequent guest with orchestras such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Opera Theater, Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, and the symphonies of Lake Forest, Elgin, Madison, Rockford, and Peoria. Mr. Stark has toured as bass trombonist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and can be heard on recordings with the Chicago Trombone Consort, The Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, The John Burnett Swing Orchestra, and The Bill O’Connell Skyliners Big Band. Mr. Stark has also performed with artists such as Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, country music singer Vince Gill, Marie Osmond, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, “Blue” Lou Marini, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Chris Brubeck, Joe Williams, Jack Jones, Marilyn McCoo, MattCatingub, Diane Shuur, Diane Reeves, Maureen McGovernm and many more.
Violinist Kassie Meeks is the Founder of the Northwest Indiana Suzuki Conservatory, after having taught violin since 1996 and Suzuki violin since 2004. Her students routinely win gold at the state lSSMA solo and ensemble event and successfully audition into youth orchestras and college music programs. Kassie began her studies in Indianapolis at the age of four and entered into pre-professional studies as a teenager, gaining experience in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen, as well as at the Weathersfield Music Festival in Vermont. She has been concertmaster of and soloist with numerous orchestras, and a member of chamber ensembles (string quartets & duos; piano trios & sonatas). Kassie regularly performs at special events and as a member of bands in several musical genres. More information can be found at kassiemeeks.com.
An encore presentation will be held August 7, featuring a smaller music ensemble. To find out more information about the Summer Rhapsody Music Festival, click here!