Prepare to experience a delightful pairing of two celebrated masters as Waterbury Symphony brings the music to Thomaston Opera House on Saturday, February 10th, 2024 at 4pm. Waterbury Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster, Alyce Cognetta Bertz and Donald Sosin, one of the world's foremost silent film musicians, will perform an original score alongside a showing of Buster Keaton's iconic movie The General! The film will be broadcast on the Opera House stage using Landmark Community Theatre's state of the art video wall.
About the performance, Doug Donato, Executive Director of the Waterbury Symphony, shared his enthusiasm for what will be a very unique program. "I am thrilled that the WSO will present this unique and original collaboration at the Thomaston Opera House, where the historic sounds of the theater organ will blend with Concertmaster Alyce Cognetta Bertz's beautiful violin. Featuring the renowned organist Donald Sosin alongside Alyce, our audience is in for an unforgettable music and visual experience as they enjoy Buster Keaton's timeless classic, The General. This combination of talented artists in the classic CT venue is sure to be something special as we move into the second half of our 23-24 Season!"
As an avid silent films enthusiast, WSO Music Director Leif Bjaland spoke of his excitement about this event, "I love silent films and The General is one of my favorites, because I also love steam locomotives and and the dead-pan comic genius of Buster Keaton. How perfect it is to perform this classic with Donald Sosin improvising at the Thomaston Opera House organ and violinist Alyce Cognetta Bertz adding to the drama and romance of this film classic in the hometown of the New England Railroad Museum!"
About The Thomaston Opera House - 158 Main St, Thomaston, CT
A historic performance venue in Thomaston, Connecticut now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Thomaston Opera House was built in 1883-85 and is touted as a wonderful display of Romanesque architecture. The theater in the building has served as a performance and film venue since its inception and The Opera House's principal tenant is now the Landmark Community Theatre with whom the WSO is delighted to collaborate for this very unique WSO Music in Great Spaces concert.
Tickets Are $25 on First Come First Serve Basis and will be General Seating
OR, call our Box Office* Mon - Fri, 10 am to 4 pm at 203-346-2000
* Our Box Office Partner is The Palace Theater Box Office.
To visit in The Box Office in person:
100 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT during Box Office Hours per above.
Calendar Listing:
Saturday, February 10th, 4 pm
Thomaston Opera House
Thomaston, 158 Main St, Thomaston, CT 06787, USA
Doors Open 3:30 p.m.
Free accessible parking in adjacent lot
Tickets $25; $10 for students with ID - Call box officeFor tickets online, visit: waterburysymphony.org
For ticketing by phone: 203-346-2000**Via box office partner, Palace Theater Ticketing Office Waterbury Symphony Orchestra Telephone: 203-574-4283
Leif Bjaland, Music Director
About Donald Sosin
Donald Sosin is one of the world's foremost silent film musicians, performing on piano, organ and synthesizer, and conducting his scores at film festivals worldwide—New York, Telluride, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, TriBeCa, Denver, Atlanta, and Miami, often with his wife, singer/percussionist Joanna Seaton.
For 50 years he has been a staff accompanist at MoMA and Lincoln Center Film, and other New York venues. The couple has also performed at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Music Mountain, at the National Gallery of Art, MFA Boston, at Italy's two major festivals in Pordenone and Bologna, the Berlin Filmmuseum, and Moscow's prestigious Lumière Gallery, the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival, in South Korea, Bangkok. Donald's orchestral score for the 1916 feature Sherlock Holmes was premiered in Odessa, Ukraine with 15,000 spectators.
Joanna and Donald have also performed at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Brown and Emory Universities, the Banff Center, and created scores for over 65 silent film DVDs on many labels. Since 2018 Donald has toured all over the US and Europe with klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals performing their collaborative scores for three Jewish-themed silent films.
Donald has had commissions from the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Colorado Children's Chorus, MoMA, Anthology Film Archives, Cineteca di Bologna, Deutsche Kinemathek, the Criterion Collection, Lobster Films, Milestone Films, KinoLorber, TCM, Arte, the Film Foundation, the National Film Preservation Foundation, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto and the Eye Film Museum, Amsterdam.
A native of Rye, NY, Donald played on Broadway for many years and has written music for television, radio and the concert hall. He and Joanna have taught silent film music workshops at universities in Syracuse, Denver, Berkeley and San Francisco, and master classes for professionals in Connecticut and Italy. They live in Lakeville CT and have two children
About Waterbury Symphony Orchestra: Creating music since 1938, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s core belief is that music, music education and shared cultural experiences are essential for humanity.
Three primary strands of the WSO include its MasterWorks Classical Concerts including its annual Symphony & Cinema Concert, its prodigious satellite performances including its Music in Great Spaces series of innovative concerts and smaller ensembles, and finally their celebrated educational programs for libraries, schools, and underserved communities.
Led by Leif Bjaland for the past twenty-eight seasons, WSO draws over one hundred talented professional musicians from across New England.
As orchestra in residence of the Fine Arts Center, Naugatuck Valley Community College, the Waterbury Symphony wishes to acknowledge the partnership of NVCC and the enduring legacy of the generosity and vision of Ruth Ann Leever.
For more information by telephone, call 203-574-4283 For tickets online, visit: waterburysymphony.org For ticketing by phone: 203-346-2000*
*Via box office partner, Palace Theater Ticketing Office