South Jersey Pops to perform
The South Jersey Pops opens its expanded concert season under new musical leadership at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at Shawnee High School located at 600 Tabernacle Road in Medford.
Tickets for adults and seniors will be available at the door or on the web at www.southjerseypops.org and are $7 per ticket. Children are admitted free.
The Marlton-based orchestra will perform under the baton of newly-appointed conductor and music director Robert Schiavinato, who brings to his new position nearly 20 years of experience as a conductor and instrumentalist with both professional and community musical organizations.
“Bob’s range of experience and the scope of his musical interests made him the right choice to lead the Pops during a period of growth and exploration initiated by his predecessor, Sylvia Bookbinder, who remains with the orchestra as a percussionist.,” Christian Stebbins, president of the Pops board of trustees said. “With Bob’s support and guidance, the Pops has added a holiday concert to its schedule this season and established two subsidiary musical ensembles, the Oktoberfest Band and the Magic Flutes. These groups allow us to extend our outreach to civic organizations, seniors and schools in the communities we serve.”
For his debut concert Schiavinato has crafted a program with a decidedly American flavor — Gershwin’s “An American in Paris Suite,” Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker Melody,” Handy’s ‘St. Louis Blues’ and a medley of traditional favorites from the American Frontier. But this apple pie comes with a splash of vodka in the form of Glière’s “Russian Sailors’ Dance.”
“I’m really excited to be working with the Pops,” Schiavinato said. “The orchestra has made me feel extraordinarily welcome and has really dedicated itself to making our first season together a real showcase for the audience.”
Even as Schiavinato takes up the Pops’ baton, he continues his association with the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia as guest conductor and with both the Broadway Theatre in Pitman and Triton High School in Runnemede as pit orchestra conductor. He served as music director and conductor of ACT Children’s Musical Theater Program from 2002 to 2006 and as music director of American Opera Productions in New York from 1998 to 2001. He conducted the Washington Township Community Orchestra from 1990 to 1994 and served Bridgeton Symphony, now the Bay-Atlantic Symphony, in several capacities, including acting music director, between 1990 and 1997.
He has guest-conducted the Olney Symphony and the Atlantic Community College Orchestra and served as cover conductor for the Olney Symphony, Ambler Symphony and Independence Sinfonia.
The South Jersey Pops’ new holiday concert is scheduled for Dec. 9. The spring concert follows on April 28, 2013. The performance venue for both concerts will be announced when arrangements are completed.
