KC Symphony Concertmaster Noah Geller Presents Leads Concert with Shir Ami Ensemble on 5/2

Preserving music from our Jewish heritage during the 20th century is the heart and soul of Shir Ami Ensemble, a group led by Kansas City Symphony Concertmaster Noah Geller. The group, which is comprised of professional musicians, will share that passion during a Kansas City concert on May 2, "Jewish Soul: A Musical Journey from the Shtetl to the Stage".

The 7 p.m. concert will be held at Congregation Beth Torah, 6100 W. 127th St., in Overland Park, Kansas. Concert tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $10 for students.

Geller leads the ensemble that includes several of his friends who are professional musicians. Shir Ami features a piano, three strings, and a vocalist. Geller's aunt and professional musician, Katharina Muether, is joining Shir Ami for its Kansas City concert. Muether is traveling to Kansas City from her home in Germany for the May 2. The evening's program will include instrumental and vocal works from a variety of Russian and Polish composers with connections to the shtetl. These composers are members of a society of musicians called the St. Petersburg School, and they are considered the fathers of Jewish art music.

"I think the sound of this music is juxtaposed between being boisterous and incredibly melancholy," Geller said. "It is music that sounds very different from your standard fare of Mozart and Haydn."

On Saturday evening, April 30, at 7 p.m. Shir Ami will give a concert for residents of Village Shalom, a local older adult living community in Overland Park.

"Our performance at Village Shalom is a preamble to our big community event, and partially to play for people for whom this music possibly has real nostalgic value," Geller said. "It is not a stretch to think that some of the residents will identify personally with many of the folk tunes that we are bringing."

Geller, now in his fourth year as the Symphony's concertmaster, formed Shir Ami when he was a student at the Julliard School. Last year, Shi Ami performed in Kansas City for the first time. The concert came about after Geller met Jerry Bernard, a music lover and active member of the Jewish community. Shir Ami was so well received that Bernard approached the Jewish Community Center to co-sponsor this year's concert.

Tickets for the Shir Ami Ensemble concert are $20 in advance ($25 at the door), and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased on-line at www.shiramimusic.com, or through the Jewish Community Center (The J), concert presenter. For tickets, please contact Jill Maidhof at The J (913) 327-8077 or email her at jillm@thejkc.org

Shir Ami's Kansas City performances have been underwritten through the generous support of The J and members of the community including: Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr., G. Kenneth and Ann Baum, Dr. Irene Bettinger, Harvey Bodker, Stanley J. Bushman and Ann Canfield, Marcia Karbank and Joe Smuckler, and The Sosland Foundation.

For more information, please visit www.shiramimusic.com.

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