FULL PROGRAM:
Handel’s Organ Concerto, Op. 4 No. 2, HWV 290
Vivaldi’s Concerto for Flute in G minor, RV 439
Telemann’s Concerto for Viola d’amore, Oboe d’amore and Flute, TWV 53:E1
C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A Major
FEATURED SOLOISTS:
Ronald Mutchnik, viola
Kimberly Valerio, flute
Sandra Lisicky, oboe
Gita Ladd, cello
Christopher Schroeder, organ
Before you start up your barbeque or head out of town for your summer vacation, join us for the final concert of our 2021-2022 Season. This instrumental concert showcases a quintet of concertos from some of our other choice Baroque composers, including Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, and CPE Bach. Our concert finale of the season features instrumentation on the organ, flute, oboe, viola d’amore, and oboe d’amore. The viola d’amore and oboe d’amore were popular instruments during the Baroque period–but are a rare find to hear live today!
Gita Ladd, cello
Gita Ladd is noted by the Baltimore Sun as a “superb cellist”, and heralded by the Washington Post as one “whose cello sings as poignantly as any voice, a defining glory”, Gita Ladd has been one of the most sought after cellists of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area for almost twenty years. For most of that time she performed as a titled member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, including several appearances as Principal Cello for the annual “Messiah” performances and at the SummerMusicFest Series. She has also performed as Principal Cello with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Baltimore Opera Company, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Post Classical Ensemble of Washington D.C., Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and as Assistant Principal Cello of the Knoxville Symphony. Ms. Ladd has also been a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Pops, and has played frequently at the Kennedy Center with various ensembles including the Washington Opera, Washington Ballet, Washington Chorale and American Ballet Theatre. Ms. Ladd has toured with Tony Bennett, Henry Mancini, Clay Aiken and Mannheim Steamroller, and has performed with Renee Fleming, El Divo, Christina Aguilera, Vince Gil and the Three Irish Tenors.
Ms. Ladd has a long standing commitment to the education of young musicians. She was on the Peabody Conservatory faculty in the spring of 2002, and joined the UMBC faculty in 2006. Beside her cello studio, faculty recitals, and performances with the contemporary music ensemble, “Ruckus”, she has also served as Director of UMBC Chamber Players, and frequently appeared in many Baltimore area schools as a clinician and soloist, and coach.
Besides her musical talents, Ms. Ladd has devoted much time and energy to human service work at local agencies, through Anne Arundel Community College, and volunteerism at the Ordnance Road Correctional Facility.
Ms. Ladd holds a diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and has attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
Ronald Mutchnik, violin
Violinist Ronald Mutchnik graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County summa cum laude, where he studied with Robert Gerle. While there, he won the Baltimore Music Club and Baltimore Musicians’ competitions. He earned his Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, studying with Joseph Gingold and continued post-graduate studies at Tel Aviv University in Israel. with Yair Kless.
He is active as an orchestral violinist, chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist and has served as Concertmaster of the Columbia Pro Cantare for over 30 years and with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra for 36 years. He has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras in Maryland, including the Columbia Orchestra and the Frederick Symphony and appeared in the film Washington Square, performing his own composition, and in concerts with Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, and was the concertmaster at Pat Sajack’s wedding in Annapolis. As a chamber musician he has appeared on many local series including Music in the Great Hall and An Die Musik.
As a teacher he has taught privately in Howard County for 40 years and taught at Towson University. He was a past president of the American String Teachers associations MD/DC Chapter, produced a music education video, “Posture and Balance: The Dynamic Duo” toured Korea coaching and performing chamber music, and is a founder of and performer with the Sundays At Three” Chamber Music Series and the founder and music director of the HCCO, the professional chamber orchestra of Howard County, Maryland. He is the 2009 winner of the MD/DC Chapter of ASTA’s String Teacher of the Year award and the Outstanding Artist Award, the “Howie” for Howard County, Maryland. Recent performances with the Bach In Baltimore Orchestra have included the Bach Double Violin Concerto with Tamara Seymour and the Violin & Oboe Concerto with Sandra Lisicky.
“Bach in Baltimore is a perfect organization to feature the music of what is arguably history’s most important composer. Without Bach, there is no Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms or so many other wonderful composers who studied and played his music and benefited immeasurably from this great master’s unique ability to communicate humanity’s deepest and most personal thoughts into sound. Bach was able to create music that unfolds logically and that creates interest in every voice in the musical texture, but at the same time, is suffused with emotion and humility in his honest and sincere search to express the perfection of the Divine. Few can equal this level of inspiration, and none have surpassed it.”
Ronald Mutchnik, Violin
Kimberly Valerio, flute
Flutist Kimberly Valerio’s sound has been described as having “sparkle and verve” by the Baltimore Sun, “gorgeous sound”, “sweet purity” by the Capital Gazette, and “graceful elegance” by the Severna Park Voice. She hold a bachelors in flute performance from the Peabody Institute where she studied with Mark Sparks. Her principal teachers have included Mary Louise Poor, Bonnie Lake, Donald Peck, and Walfrid Kujala. In addition, she has performed in master classes with Carol Wincenc, Robert Willoughby, Donald Peck and was a featured performer in the James Galway Masterclass at the National Flute Association‘s 1997 Chicago convention.
She has been awarded first place honors in many competitions including the Chicago Flute Society, the Liberty Freemont Concert Society, the Society of American Musicians, Chicago’s Musical Arts, and the Elmhurst Symphony Young Artist Competition. Ms. Valerio’s past teaching appointments include St. Mary’s College, Salisbury State University, Anne Arundel Community College, and Peabody Preparatory.
She has been playing principal flute with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra since 2004 and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra since 1998. She has performed with the Saint Louis Symphony throughout 2002-2004, Baltimore Symphony, Washington National Opera, National Philharmonic, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, Spoleto Festival Orchestra U.S.A., Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, and Chesapeake Chamber Orchestra.
Sandra Lisicky, oboe
Sandra (Gerster) Lisicky, oboe, has played with the Bach in Baltimore Orchestra since 2006. She recalls her first concert with Bach in Baltimore performing Bach’s Cantata 1, along with her husband Michael on the English horn.
Additionally, she is the Principal Oboist of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival (Harrisonburg, VA) since 1994, performs regularly with the Baltimore and Maryland Symphonies. Formerly Principal Oboist of the Hartford Symphony, Connecticut Opera, Berkshire Opera, New Sousa Band and Opera New England, Ms. Lisicky was also a member of the Richmond and Virginia (Norfolk) Symphonies, Virginia Opera and Williamsburg Symphonia.
She has collaborated with the New World, Franciscan and Cavani String Quartets on numerous occasions and was a founding member of Soni Fidelis Quintet, a resident ensemble of the Hartt School of Music. In 1998 she participated in a special chamber music concert in London for Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of his Cabinet.
As an oboist there is nothing more rewarding, uplifting, exciting and challenging than playing Bach! What a gift to perform his wonderful repertoire every month with my superlative and supportive Bach in Baltimore colleagues!
Sandra Lisicky, Oboe
Ms. Lisicky has held teaching appointments at more than twenty educational institutions, including James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth Universities, and the Universities of Richmond and Connecticut. She is currently a faculty member of the Baltimore School for the Arts and Peabody Institute and serves as the music coordinator for BSA’s TWIGS program.
Christopher Schroeder, organ
Christopher Schroeder is Minister of Music and Organist at Grace United Methodist Church and is also the Chapel Organist at St. Paul School for Boys. Chris has been a church musician for nearly 40 years, serving churches in the Baltimore area as well as churches in his home state of Indiana. Chris holds a Masters Degree in Church Music and Organ Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He has performed solo organ recitals and has accompanied choral ensembles throughout his career. Chris finds enjoyment in choral singing, running, biking and crossword puzzles.