Connecticut’s Own Concert Series Opens in September at Wilton Library

Wilton Library’s Connecticut’s Own Sunday concert series opens on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 4-5 p.m., with a concert from Wilton’s own–the Wilton Music Studios Virtuosi. The free concert features colleagues from Wilton Music Studios performing an eclectic program of chamber music mixing winds, strings and piano.

Artistic director and flutist Lisa Arkis is joined by pianist Elina Christova, violist Jeffrey Ellenberger, clarinetist/composer Monte Morgenstern, cellist Peter Prosser and violinist Gabriel Schaff. The musicians will play works by Mozart, Bohuslav Martinu, and their own Monte Morgenstern.

The faculty members each bring varied career experience to their ensemble:

Lisa Arkis’ career encompasses orchestral playing, chamber music, solo performance, and teaching. She has played with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the New Haven Symphony, and the Berkshire Opera Festival. She is adjunct professor of flute at the University of Bridgeport. Arkis is married to Prosser.

Elina Christova has performed in the US and Europe, most recently at Carnegie Hall and the International Piano Festival in Havana. A Fulbright Scholar, she moved to New York in 1996 earning a Master’s and Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

Jeffrey Ellenberger has performed as a soloist and orchestral musician throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia including with the New York City Opera and the New Haven Symphony. He is the concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Bar Harbor Festival Orchestra.

Monte Morgenstern has performed with a variety of ensembles in the New York music scene including the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the New York City Ballet. A prolific composer and arranger, he is the principal clarinetist of the Bronx Opera Orchestra.

Peter Prosser, formerly of the Royale Trio, has recorded the Saint-Saens, Lalo and Dvořák concerti and Haydn’s D major Concerto. An assistant professor at the Mannes College of Music since 1991, he has also taught at the Aspen Music Festival. Prosser is married to Arkis.

Gabriel Schaff is on the faculty of Essex County College and has written extensively on the history of the violin and its music. In 1992, he created the Englewood Chamber Players presenting educational concerts especially for populations underserved by live classical performances.

For more information, visit the Wilton Music Studios website.

There is no charge for this concert series.  Donations are always welcomed. Registration is strongly suggested for these popular concerts. Pre-registrants should arrive by 3:50 p.m. to be guaranteed seating; wait-listed and walk-in registrants will be admitted after 3:50 p.m. if space is available. GOOD Morning Wilton is the media sponsor for the series. For information, directions and registration, visit the Wilton Library website or call 203.762.6334.