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Susquehanna Symphony gets in tune with the spirit of the season; Holiday Brass

By Karen Toussaint

Posted 12/01/10

(Enlarge) The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra will feature Bel Air native Kevin Businsky in the Trumpet Concerto by Haydn and "The Toy Trumpet" by Raymond Scott this weekend.

The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra is putting the finishing touches on its annual holiday concert. This year, the concert, “Of Holiday Brass and Christmas Bon-Bons,” is chock-full of tempting pieces like Raymond Scott’s The Toy Trumpet and the Suite from Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bel Air High School at 100 Heighe Street. Advance tickets ($20 adults, $15 for seniors and students with I.D.) are available at Preston’s Stationary and MusicLand in Bel Air, at Joyful Sounds in Forest Hill and at Noteworthy Music in Fallston, or online from www.TicketLeap.com, which charges a small convenience fee. If the concert is not sold out, tickets may also be purchased at the door. For more information, visit www.ssorchestra.org.

The orchestra opens with Theldon Myers’ Christmas fantasy, People Look East, based on a French advent carol. Myers, professor emeritus from Towson University and composer in residence for the SSO, lives in Bel Air and will most likely be at the concert.

Then Bel Air native Kevin Businsky will weigh in on Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and “The Toy Trumpet,” written by Raymond Scott and arranged by Herfurth. The 2003 graduate of C. Milton Wright High School began studying the trumpet when he was 10 years old. He recalls being inspired by listening to his father Gary’s records of brass musicians like jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, known as “the high note king.”

“I began playing the trumpet at Fountain Green Elementary School with Brian Folus [principal bass with the SSO] as the music teacher,” he said. “I then continued at Southampton Middle School with Stefan Antwarg, and finally at C. Milton Wright with Felicia Martin and Scott Sharnetzka. Brian, Stefan, Felicia and Scott all made a huge impact on me and my future studies. Most importantly, they never gave up on their students.”

As a junior in high school, Businsky was tapped by CMW music teacher Sheldon Bair (now SSO music director) to perform in Telemann’s Concerto in D for the piccolo trumpet, which was a challenge for the young musician. After earning a bachelor of music degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, Businsky attended the Colburn School in Los Angeles, earning a professional studies certificate. Now he plays with the New World Symphony, the only orchestra training academy in the U.S.

Also on the program is the Suite from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Snow Maiden.” According to SSO music director Sheldon Bair, Bruce Burns will narrate “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” followed by Christmas Memories, arranged by Chase, and Bair’s arrangement of the ever-popular Christmas Sing-Along. A bearded visitor dressed in red may put in an appearance as well.

Those who want to begin their evening early may meet some SSO musicians at happy hour (5-7 p.m.) at Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub, 23 S. Main Street in Bel Air; or they may join them for dinner after the concert at Liberatore’s Ristorante, 562 Baltimore Pike. Also, at 6:45 p.m., just before the concert, SSO harpist Monika Vasey will give a lecture about musicians with disabilities, and Sheldon Bair will give a short talk about arranging the Sing-Along.