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Annual Tritle organ concert at Smithfield

Annual Tritle organ concert at Smithfield

Kent Tritle at the organ of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC.

Joshua Smitth

An anticipated fall favorite event at The Smithfield Church is the now-annual virtuoso organ performance by Kent Tritle, organist for the New York Philharmonic, this year to be joined by Arthur Fiacco, Jr. on Cello. The concert will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 3:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Oratorio Society of New York where Tritle serves as Music Director.

For the past ten years, Tritle has performed an annual concert on the Smithfield Church’s historic tracker organ, a favorite of his. The program will include a variety of selections, from classical to modern, along with Tritle’s incomparable commentary on each. Selections will include organ solos and duets with cello, interpreting the works of Bach, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn, with two works by modern composers.

Tritle serves as the music director for several award-winning choral ensembles, including Musica Sacra and the Oratorio Society of New York, while also serving as Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

For the Smithfield concert, Tritle will be joined by Arthur Fiacco, Jr. with whom he has performed many times, usually with Tritle serving as conductor and Fiacco leading the orchestra’s cello section. It is rare to hear the two in a duet setting.

In addition to sitting as principal cellist of the organizations conducted by Tritle, Fiacco is also a member of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has performed at renowned music festivals, including Caramoor, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Marlboro, Music Mountain and Lincoln Center Festivals. He has appeared with Broadway’s Patti LuPone as a soloist, harpsichordist Igor Kipnis, Meredith Monk and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

Fiacco’s cello was crafted in 1730 by Venetian master Carlo Tononi.

The suggested donation at the door is $25.00. A reception with the musicians will follow the concert. The Smithfield Church, located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road in Amenia, is handicapped accessible.

Leila Hawken

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