We have been handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, June 13 at 8:00 pm. This offer is at no cost to the ensemble or individual players.. Please read the info below (I’ll try to keep it brief), and then please respond on this form to indicate your availability. Everyone should respond, whether or not your are playing Caramoor. I have no delusions that everyone is available, so it’s very important to assess whether or not we have a musical quorum to do this. But I believe this Golden Calf will not be offered again! Our acceptance to this offer is not a foregone conclusion. I need your input and commitment in order to say yes!
Curt conducting at Carnegie Hall in 2018.
World Projects is producing its Sounds of Summer Festival at Carnegie Hall in June. Like several other companies, they book the hall and recruit outstanding high school programs fro across the country to come to New York for sight-seeing, clinics, and an adjudicated performance (similar to our Avery Fisher performance in 2010). One of these performing ensembles has dropped out, and World Projects has offered us the stage time at no cost to the ensemble or individual players. The performance fee is normally $15,000. There is no requirement to buy tickets, although tickets are available at $49 each (including fees). And large percussion rental is included.
I received this invitation at 4:30 pm yesterday, and took this to our board last night. They voted to poll the personnel for availability. The deadline to reply is tomorrow (Thursday) at 6:00 pm. I must reply to my contact by Friday morning to decide whether or not we will accept the offer. So please respond on this form to indicate your availability. I’m asking EVERYONE to respond — whether or not you are playing Caramoor. We need everyone’s response so — if we accept — we can manage to plug open seats as needed.
If you read this far, here are more details:
- The primary personnel pool is the Caramoor roster, since we’ll be in the middle of the Caramoor rehearsal cycle. For players who are not available, we’ll fill seats first with full-time members not playing Caramoor but available for the three rehearsals (May 22, June 5, June 12), and then go to the sub list.
- Rep will be drawn primarily from the Caramoor program, but I may also pull one or two pieces from the Spring Concert to create a balanced program that we can prepare in three rehearsals. I’ll make those rep decisions by Monday night, so we know what to collect/what to keep.
- We have 40 minutes from the time we step onto the stage until our exit. We would be the finale ensemble, and the only adult ensemble.
- We have a 30 minute sound check at some point right before the performance. I asked for the latest time slot possible, but do not know yet when our slot might be. If you are in a situation where you might miss the soundcheck but can arrive in order to play the performance, answer YES to performing. I am willing to be flexible with the soundcheck roster, since it’s a workday, travel to Manhattan, etc.
- The only rehearsals for this are May 22, June 5, and June 12. June 12 is an especially critical rehearsal, as it will essentially be our dress rehearsal. Please assess that carefully.
Lastly, these people could have contacted the Manhattan Wind Ensemble, the New Jersey Wind Symphony, the Brooklyn Wind Symphony, the Greater New York Wind Symphony, or any other adult ensemble in the area. But they contacted us. I think this is truly is an “aligning of the planets” situation, and one to consider very, very carefully.
Please respond on this form by tomorrow at 6:00 pm! Contact me as needed with individual questions.