Concert in the Park

Seventh annual Concert in the Park

This summer’s seventh annual Concert in the Park gets underway at 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 6th at 1200 John Q Hammons Drive in Old Sauk Trails Park. This musical celebration features the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Sewell. The Concert is FREE and open to the public. Come around 5:00 P.M. to enjoy activities with the kids, socialize and picnic with other Old Sauk Trails Park neighbors.

Children of all ages are invited to try different chamber instruments and experience the joy of music as part of our special “instrument petting zoo” prior to the concert. In addition to the pre-concert festivities, Professor Bassam Shakhashiri and Dr. Rod Schreiner will be demonstrating various science experiments in their original “Science is Fun” show. Come learn about combustion, exploding balloons, liquids that glow in the dark, polymers, and other spectacular scientific phenomena! Enjoy your picnic dinner; watch the stunning sunset in the west, and a fantastic fireworks display following the Concert.

Maestro Andrew Sewell and the talented musicians of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra will provide you a magical evening of music. Our special guests, violinist Paul Hauer and cellist Taylor Skiff will be performing Glazunov’s Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82 and Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104, respectively. It is our pleasure to have such a fine ensemble of artists join us. (See attached bios on special guests for more information).

If you plan to attend, bring lawn chairs and blankets to set up in the parking lot of Sauk Trails Plaza, 1200 John Q Hammons. Tables seating eight may be reserved for $250 on our website at www.gialamas.com “Events” page or you may contact Erica at The Gialamas Company at 836-8000.

Our Concert food vendors can meet your catering needs or provide box dinners. Orders must be placed prior to event for delivery. Participating restaurants include George’s Chop House and Bluephies. See our website at www.gialamas.com for Concert menus, ordering forms and contact information.

Be sure to join us August 6th, 7 p.m., at 1200 John Q Hammons for a relaxing and entertaining summer evening. You’ll be glad you did.

Guest Artist Paul Hauer, Violinist
Paul Hauer is a violinist from Appleton, Wisconsin. He began taking violin lessons at the age of six, and has studied with Gloria Schroeder, Ferenc Fenyo, Klara Bahcall, Samantha George, Yuliya Smead, and most recently with Stephane Tran Ngoc at Lawrence University. Paul was the Grand Prize Winner of the String Works String Competition in 2003, and was a soloist in the 2007 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Auditions. Paul and his siblings performed at the 2005 Emerson Cultural Series in Door County, Wisconsin, and in 2007 and 2008 they performed at the Windhover Center in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Guest Artist Taylor Skiff, Cellist
Taylor Skiff is an 18 years old homeschooled graduate from Mequon and will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall. He started playing the cello at the age of 9. His first cello instructors were Mr. Ron Melby and Carina Voly. Taylor’s current teacher is Professor Uri Vardi at UW-Madison. For the past three years, Taylor was the principal cellist of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Senior Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Last year, Taylor won the UW-Milwaukee Young Artist Competition and was the featured soloist with the UW-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performing the first movement of Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. In 2008 Taylor was named runner-up for the Senior Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto Competition. He was also named one of four winners in the Civic Music Association of Milwaukee’s High School Showcase in 2007 and 2008. Also in 2008, Taylor was placed in the highly commended category for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and reached the semifinal round of the Bolz Young Artist Concerto Competition. In May, Taylor performed as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, performing Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hebraïque, after winning the MSO’s 2008 Young Artist Competition. During the summer of 2007, Taylor attended the Prelude Music Academy. At the end of this camp, he received the Artistry Award which is given to the student who has shown the most improvement over the length of the camp. Taylor’s future goals are to receive a Masters Degree in Cello Performance and pursue a music career.