The Gateway Chamber Orchestra Presents Two Performances With World-Renowned Flautist William Bennett
The Gateway Chamber Orchestra (GCO) is proud to announce a one-day, exclusive event on Saturday, June 17 with flautist William Bennett, an Order of the British Empire (OBE) recipient for distinguished service to the music community. The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall will host an afternoon matinee with Bennett supported by soloists from the GCO and a grand evening soirée with Bennett as a featured performer with the GCO.
“William Bennett is one of the most celebrated performers and teachers in the history of the flute,” says GCO Music Director Gregory Wolynec. “He has served as Principal Flute with the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra and has been featured on literally hundreds of CDs. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this legendary figure of the flute world perform in historic Franklin!”
In addition to being awarded OBE in 1995, an honor that is ranked one step below knighthood, Bennett has received the following accolades:
- “Lifetime Achievement Award” – National Flute Association
- “Flautist Laureate” – British Flute Society
- “Flute of Gold” – Italian “Falaut” Flute Society
- “Lifetime Achievement Award” – Chicago Flute Club
Full details on the performances are below:
Date: Saturday, June 17
Location: Historic Franklin Masonic Hall Hiram Lodge #7
Address: 115 2nd Ave S, Franklin, TN 37064
Note: A portion of the proceeds from both performances will be donated to support the rehabilitation efforts of the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall.
Matinee: William Bennett and Gateway Chamber Orchestra Soloists
Time: 3:00PM
Admission: $30
Gateway Chamber Orchestra Soloists:
Lisa Wolynec – flute
Jessica Blackwell – violin
Michael Samis – cello
Kumiko Shimizu – piano
Program to include works by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, and Mozart.
Evening: Gateway Chamber Orchestra Featuring William Bennett
The evening program will feature William Bennett and the wind section of the Gateway Chamber Orchestra in a program of “Wind Serenades.” These selections make up a particularly proficient program for the GCO as works for winds were the focus of their first recorded release and would parlay Blanton Alspaugh to a Producer of the Year nomination at the Grammys. A 12-piece orchestra will be performing with a preshow reception and conversation with the Gateway Chamber Orchestra Music Director Gregory Wolynec.
Time: 7:30 PM (pre-concert talk at 7:10 PM)
Admission: $45
Selections featured in the program:
Felix Mendelssohn – Nocturno
Charles Gounod – Petite Symphonie (This work was written for the legendary Paul Taffanel, a celebrated Parisian flautist. Bennett will perform the part originally performed by Taffanel)
Antonin Dvorak – Czech Suite
Tickets can be purchased via The Franklin Theatre box office or click here to purchase tickets online.
For more information on the Gateway Chamber Orchestra, visit the following sites.
Website: gatewaychamberorchestra.com
Facebook: facebook.com/gatewayco
Twitter: @GatewayOrch
About William Bennett
Renowned English flutist William Bennett studied with Geoffrey Gilbert at the Guildhall School of Music and in Paris with Jean-Pierre Rampal. In 1958, he won a medal in the Geneva International Flute Competition. From 1965, he studied with Marcel Moyse, whose vibrant and expressive style he has championed. He has had a distinguished career in British orchestras, serving as principal flute with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the English Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed internationally as a soloist and has made numerous recordings. Composers such as Richard Rodney Bennett and William Matthias have dedicated works to him, and Bennett himself has published many transcriptions for the flute. He taught at the Music Hochschule, Freiburg, teaches at the Royal Academy of Music, and gives master classes throughout the world. He was made an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his distinguished service to music. More information on William Bennett can be found on his website williambennettflute.com.
About the Gateway Chamber Orchestra
The Gateway Chamber Orchestra is quickly emerging as one of America’s leading ensembles. Conducted by Gregory Wolynec, the GCO specializes in the programming of masterworks of the past and present. The ensemble debuted in the fall of 2008 and is comprised of the talented performance faculty of Austin Peay State University and fellow professional musicians from Nashville and beyond. Their recordings have been lauded by the American Record Guide, Fanfare Magazine, and SA-CD.net among others. Performing regularly in APSU’s acoustically splendid Mabry Concert Hall and the historic Franklin Theatre, the GCO has presented works ranging from contemporary American composers William Bolcom and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich to traditional repertoire by Schubert, Mozart, and Haydn. The GCO has released two recordings on the Summit label that earned praise in Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide and on various online sites. Producer Blanton Alspaugh won the 2013 GRAMMY® for Classical Producer of the Year with the ‘Chamber Symphonies’ recording.
About The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall
The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall (c.1823-1826) remains one of the last surviving examples of early Gothic Revival architecture in Tennessee. Established in 1809, Hiram Lodge No. 7, is one of the oldest Lodges to reside continuously at the same location in the United States. The Hall served as a Union army barracks, a quartermaster’s office and ultimately, a field hospital during the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864. In 1867, the Hall observed the Franklin race riots and the development of one of Franklin’s first African-American neighborhoods in its midst. During World War I, the National Guard commandeered the first floor for an armory. By 1972, the Hall was listed on the National Register for Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.