The Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra (NCSO) opens its 2009-2010 season with 20^th Century Consonance on October 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Linehan Chapel of the Golisano Academic Center at Nazareth College. This exciting concert features Nazareth College guitar professors Petar Kodzas and Jeffrey Miller in a performance of Joaquin Rodrigo’s evocative “Concierto Madrigal” for two guitars and orchestra. 20^th Century Consonance continues with a celebration of the 2010 centennial of Samuel Barber in a performance of his “First Essay” for orchestra followed by audience favorites “Vocalise” (Rachmaninoff), “Bolero” (Ravel) and the final sections of “The Firebird Suite” (Stravinsky). Nazareth College is located at 4245 East Avenue Rochester, New York. This spectacular concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the 20^th Century Consonance concert or the Nazareth College department of music, please visit www.naz.edu or call 585-389-2700.

 

The Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra 20^th Century Consonance concert will be conducted by Nancy Strelau. It features Peter Kodzas (guitar) and Jeffrey Miller (guitar) and includes Marcy Bacon (clarinet), Chris Van Hof (trombone), Chisato Eda Marling (saxophone), Barbara Hull (trumpet), and Euri Alvarez (oboe d’amore).

 

The Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Nancy Strelau, performs a wide variety of traditional and contemporary orchestral literature. The Orchestra collaborates with the Nazareth College choirs and features faculty and student soloists each year. NCSO is open to all Nazareth College students and community members. The orchestra presents three concerts each semester. 

 

The Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra performed in Nassau, Bahamas at the invitation of the government to accompany the inaugural concert of the National Choir of the Bahamas in February 2006 and continues the relationship. 

Featured bios:

 

Nancy Petterson Strelau received music degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Miami (Florida) and has taught in public, private and laboratory schools in Idaho, Utah, North Dakota and Florida. Mrs. Strelau is music director and conductor of the Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra, Nazareth College Chamber Orchestra, Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra, Hochstein Virtuosi Scholarship Chamber Orchestra, Greater Women’s Philharmonic, and the New Horizon’s String Orchestra. She is a frequent guest conductor of area high school orchestra festivals and All-State Orchestras, as well as guest conductor at local and national music conferences.

 

She was director of orchestras and string coordinator for the Penfield Central School District (NY) from 1986-2000, conductor of the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra from 1994 to 2005 and co-conductor of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra from 1990-1994. She is a frequent guest conductor of area high school orchestra festivals and All-State Orchestras as well as a guest conductor at local and national music conferences.

 

Mrs. Strelau is both instrumental coordinator and auditions coordinator for Nazareth College and teaches conducting, string pedagogy and applied conducting. Nancy Strelau also teaches music composition and conducting at Hochstein School of Music and Dance, composition at the Nazareth College Community Education Division and is on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music Community Division.

 

Nancy Strelau has had orchestral pieces published with Hal Leonard Music Company and has been the recipient of several ‘Meet the Composer’ grants. Mrs. Strelau made her third appearance at Carnegie Hall in 2002 conducting the premiere of her piece for full symphonic orchestra L’Enfant du Soldat. She is the recipient of the Rochester Philharmonic Music Educator’s Award, Hochstein School Faculty Award and most recently the 2008 Monroe County School Music Educators Award in memory of music educator, Richard Snook.

 

Petar Kodzas has performed throughput Europe and the eastern United States, with recitals for the Ithaca Winter Guitar Festival, Buffalo Guitar Society, Cornell University, Chautauqua Chamber Music Society, Oklahoma State University and the Elmira Symphony. He is a regular performer in Rochester, having appeared in concerts at the Hochstein School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and the Memorial Art Gallery. His activities include presentations, master-classes and lectures for Jeumesses Musicales, American String Teachers Association, and College Music Society. Most recently, he participated in the International Guitar Festival at Belgrade as a performer, teacher and adjudicator. Together with Joel Brown, Stern Isachsen and Matthew Ardizzone, he is a founding member of the Finger Lakes Guitar Quartet. Mr. Kodzas had participated in several international competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America Guitar Competition and the distinguished Walter W. Naumburg Competition in New York City where he was among twenty-five guitarists selected from around the world.

Feature bios:

Petar Kodzas has been on faculty at Nazareth College since 2001. Formerly a faculty member at Hochstein School of Music, St. John Fisher College and Finger Lakes Community College, he is the first guitarist ever to hold a Jack L. Frank position at the Eastman School of Music (CED).

 

Jeffrey Miller is a native of Rochester and an active professor and teacher of classical guitar. He received a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree in classical guitar performance from the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut. Miller is currently a DMA candidate at the Eastman School of Music. He actively performs as a soloist and as a member of various chamber ensembles. Mr. Miller has performed at the Tri-C Jazz Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, the Hartford Chamber Orchestra, and the Hartford Symphony Pops. A versatile musician, Jeff has arranged and recorded tracks on bass, banjo, mandolin and guitar. He currently teaches Guitar Techniques I and II to music therapy majors, guitar to music education majors, and secondary guitar lessons.