MUSIC AT NOON: City Winds Trio
Crispian Fordham, Flute; Meredyth Coleman, Oboe; Jack Bender, Piano
Music At Noon, the concert series sponsored by the Morristown United Methodist Church, continues its 35th season with a concert on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, featuring The City Winds Trio: Crispian Fordham, flute; Meredyth Coleman, oboe; and Jack Bender, piano.
They will be performing music by Krommer, Bach and Dring. The 30-minute concert will be held in the church sanctuary, at 50 Park Place (on the Green).
January concerts have a suggested donation of $7 for adults and $6 for seniors. Students are admitted free to all concerts. Free childcare is available during the concert. The sanctuary is handicapped accessible.
A light luncheon will be available for purchase before or after the performance (11:30 am to 1:30 pm).
The luncheon costs $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students. For further information, call 973-538-2132.
Crispian Fordham, flute, is originally from London, England and has performed with the City Winds Trio since 2001. Crispian has also performed on both flute and piccolo with the Park Avenue Chamber Players, London Festival Players and many more. Mr. Fordham has performed many solo and chamber music performances in concert halls such as: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall and the United Nations.
Also, Crispian attended the Aspen Music Festival as a full Scholarship fellow. In 2001, Mr. Fordham won the award of excellence in Performance from the Mannes College of Music. In 2008, Mr. Fordham was the flutist for the new musical Midnight Madness, with the part specifically written for him by composer Jack Bender. Midnight Madness premiered in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival in September of 2008 at the Alvin Ailey Theater.
That year Crispian also toured Florida with the Gold Coast Opera Company for its productions of Tosca and Madame Butterfly. Crispian Fordham has a BA (Mannes College of Music) and a Masters Degree (Mannes College of Music) in Music Performance on flute. He has studied with Keith Underwood and Nadine Asin.
Meredyth Coleman, oboe, originally is from Kansas City and has been the oboist for City Winds Trio since 2001. Mrs. Coleman started her music career on the Suzuki violin at 22 months old. At ages four and five, Coleman performed violin on Kansas City Local Television and a concert with Dr. Suzuki. Meredyth continued violin until the age of 11, a year after taking up the oboe. At age 15, Meredyth was appointed Associate Principle Oboe of the Northland Symphony, her first professional orchestral position. Mrs. Coleman has performed with ensembles such as the Emerson String Quartet, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Illini Symphony Orchestra, Arcady Music Festival Orchestra, Gold Coast Opera Company and many more Symphonies throughout the East Coast.
Mrs. Coleman can also be heard as the oboist for Lidia’s Italy Television show currently airing on PBS. In 2000, Ms. Coleman fell in love with chamber music while performing the Mozart Oboe Quartet with the Emerson String Quartet. In the fall of 2008, Meredyth performed the Marcello Oboe Concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Christ Church of Pelham. That year, Mrs. Coleman toured Florida to perform Principle Oboe with the Gold Coast Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly. Also in 2008, Mrs. Coleman was the Oboist for the new musical Midnight Madness, with the part specifically written for her by composer Jack Bender. Midnight Madness premiered in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival in September of 2008 at the Alvin Ailey Theater. Meredyth has also won numerous awards including: Emerson String Quartet Top Prize and Best of Chamber Music Award from the Hartt School of Music. In her Symphonic
Jack Bender, piano, is a resident of New Brunswick and a freelance musician with many years of experience in musical theater. He served as a vocal and music director for the Talent Time Players of Bloomfield for nine years and has worked closely with his friend and colleague Ilene Greenbaum for five years. Mr. Bender received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2003, and he was choral director of Bloomfield High School for three years. He has several projects in the works, including a new musical he co-wrote with Cynthia Meryl.
Also, Jack Bender has been assistant Music Director for the New Jersey Youth Theatre for the past three years. Jack Bender’s composed and orchestrated the music for the new musical, Midnight Madness, which debuted in August at the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts. Midnight Madness performed in September at the Alvin Ailey Theater in NYC.
Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
For further information: 973-538-2132 or www.morristownumc.com
