Jewish Art Music of the St Petersburg School

Jewish Music of the Russian and Soviet Empires.

Oboist Rita Mitsel and Anastasia Seifetdinova at the piano performing Russian-Jewish music. Come hear works by Joseph Achron, Solomon Rosowsky, Alexander Krein, and Pesach Lvov -- the composers of the "Jewish Art Music", also know as St. Petersburg School, a movement that originated at the end of the 19th century in Russia and flourished through the 20th. The concert program will also include two sonatas by Mieczyslaw Weinberg — Sonata for clarinet and piano (1945), arranged by Rita for oboe and piano, and a movement from Piano Sonata No.4 (1955).

Oboist Rita Mitsel has performed extensively in Europe and throughout the United States. She is a member of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players (NY) and Symphony in C (NJ). Ms. Mitsel has appeared as a substitute in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the American Ballet Theater, the American Symphony Orchestra, and in The Phantom of the Opera. As a soloist she performed with Symphony in C, Orion String Quartet, and on Bargemusic, among others. She has recorded for Naxos with International Contemporary Ensemble. Rita Mitsel holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees from Mannes College of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School. Ms. Mitsel teaches ear training and dictation at Mannes, and oboe and chamber music at Queens College (CUNY).

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Anastasia Seifetdinova gave her first solo recital at the age of eleven. Ms. Seifetdinova is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, Germany, and holds Master’s and Doctorate degrees from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Anastasia received First Prizes at competitions in Rome, Italy and Puigcerda, Spain, has commercially recorded for Naxos and Centaur Records. Her career continues with numerous appearances as a soloist both in concertos with orchestra, in solo recitals, and in chamber music concerts in Europe, USA, and Japan. Anastasia served as an Adjunct Faculty in Piano and Chamber Music at the Hartt School and is currently affiliated with the New England Conservatory.