Hartt School Presents The Hartt Symphony Band 3/4

The Hartt School of the University of Hartford presents the Hartt Symphony Band on Friday, March 4, at 7:30 PM in Lincoln Theater at the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Admission is $20 with discounts available for seniors, students, and groups. Admission is free for University of Hartford students, faculty, and staff with current University ID. For tickets and information, contact the University of Hartford Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 1.800.274.8587, or visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

Under the direction of Matthew Aubin, The Hartt Symphony Band performs works by three 20th century composers, including works by William Schuman and John Mackey, and a new composition by Joel Puckett, The Shadow of Sirius, featuring Hartt alumna and flute professor Janet Arms.

According to his website, Joel Puckett wrote The Shadow of Sirius based on W.S. Merwin's poem in order to cope with personal heartbreak. "I found a copy of W.S. Merwin's "The Shadow of Sirius," and I began to feel myself heal. I have almost no idea what most of this poetry means. But I know that it fills me with profound sadness that is, at the same time, brimming with hope," he states in his program notes.

Puckett wanted to write a piece that explores the expressive possibilities of the flute rather than the technical aspects. "Each movement offers my reflection on a single Merwin poem from the collection. Although the work is played without pause, the soloist plays unaccompanied solos to separate the individual movements," Puckett continued in his program notes.

Hartt faculty member Janet Arms has been a member of the New York City Opera orchestra since 1988, where she plays assistant principal flute and piccolo. Her chamber music activities include performances with musicians of the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center, as a guest artist with the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival, with the Concordia Chamber Players, and in recital with fellow faculty members at the Symphony and Opera Academy of the Pacific in Powell River, BC, where she also teaches. A prizewinner in both the NY Flute Club competition and the Concert Artists International competition, Ms. Arms made her recital debut at Carnegie Hall while completing her master's degree at Juilliard as a student of Samuel Baron. She received her bachelor's degree from The Hartt School as a student of John Wion. Ms. Arms joinEd Hartt's faculty in 1995, and now leads the flute studio of her former teacher.

The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920, Hartt has been an integral part of the University of Hartford since its charter merged the then Hartt School of Music, the Hartford Art School, and Hillyer College to create the University in 1957. 2010 markEd Hartt's 90th year of providing world class performing arts education to students in Greater-Hartford and around the world. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt's curriculum. For more information about The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

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