The Garden State Philharmonic Brings Vivaldi's Four Seasons to the Jersey Shore

TOMS RIVER, N.J. - April 9, 2019 - PRLog -- This month, one of music's best-known Baroque works comes to life at The Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts and Spring Lake Theater. The Garden State Philharmonic, under the direction of Music Director & Conductor Diane Wittry, performs Vivaldi's Four Seasons in its entirety. The GSP is privileged to welcome world renowned guest artist Eiko Kano as the violin soloist for these evocative performances. The performances will take place Saturday, April 27^th, at The Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts on the campus of Ocean County College in Toms River, and Sunday, April 28^th, at The Spring Lake Theater in Spring Lake.

Named as one of the "Top 30 Music Influencers" by Musical America Worldwide, Conductor, Diane Wittry, is the newly appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Garden State Philharmonic. Diane Wittry is known for her innovative programming and her engaging audience rapport. She is a conductor who "specializes in finding creative ways to make the music fresh, accessible, and exciting."

Featured pieces on the programs include Vivaldi's Four Seasons, featuring guest artist Eiko Kano, Dvorak's Serenade for Strings, and Astor Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, featuring guest artist Eiko Kano.

Praised as an artist with "electrifying intensity and lyrical expression" by Kyoto Newspaper and "mesmerizing interpreter" by Friends of Music Magazine, Japanese violinist Eiko Kano is known for her sensational and dynamic performances. Eiko has a thriving international career as a soloist as well as a chamber musician collaborating with distinguished artists such as principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic Albrecht Meyer, Eugene Drucker of the Emerson Quartet and Ani Kavafian while working closely with living composers premiering new works. She is prizewinner of multiple international competitions such as the 4th International Competition of Tokyo among others. As a result of winning the prestigious Forval Scholarship, Eiko was granted the Stradivarius "Reinville violin for 2 years.

She currently serves as an assistant concertmaster in Grammy Award-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra as well as regularly plays in the New York Philharmonic. She is on the artistic advisory board as well as a principal 1st violin player in the newly founded Pegasus: The Orchestra based in New York. Eiko also takes an initiative role as a leader of chamber orchestras without conductors: her performance as a guest concert master with Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra in the fall 2017 received a critical acclaim.

She is currently playing on Stradivarius "Wilhelmj" violin loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation.

In his Four Seasons, legendary composer Antonio Vivaldi portrays a year filled with hope, flowering growth, blossoming abundance, and the quiet gathering of energy for tomorrow.  Blending the fire and passion of tango with extensive, Astor Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires are not specifically pictorial, as are Vivaldi's well-known movements, but are instead evocations of the changing seasons in Piazzolla's native Argentina.

Performances will be Saturday, April 27^th at 7:00 pm at The Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, 1 College Drive, Toms River, and Sunday, April 28^th at 4:00 pm at The Spring Lake Community House at 300 Madison Avenue, Spring Lake. Tickets for the Toms River performance are available at http://www.gardenstatephilharmonic.org/buy-tickets or by calling 732-255-0460, and tickets for the Spring Lake performance are available at http://www.springlaketheatre.com/tickets or by calling 732-449-4530.

The Garden State Philharmonic Symphony Society, Inc. (GSP) is dedicated to a mission of maintaining and operating a professional symphony orchestra at the Jersey Shore; to giving concerts of cultural and educational value in and for the community; and to fostering such related activities that will encourage interest in and appreciation of music.