| Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra | |
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| Play an orchestra string instrument? Come play with us! Click here for details. | |
| Where and when do we rehearse? Click here for details. | |
Concerts
Linda Tracy Conductor for Spring Concert
Our Spring 2024 concert will be conducted by Linda Tracy of Storrs, a violinist in NCCO who was a choral music teacher for 34 years in the Windham and Tolland public schools. Linda earned a B.S. in Music Education with a concentration in voice from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Music Education from Central Connecticut State University. She is the creator and artistic director of the a cappella choral ensemble, Take Note!, which is based in Mansfield Center. Performing benefit concerts for the past 20 years, Take Note! has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for those in need in eastern Connecticut. As musical director and choral director for several years for the Windham Theatre Guild in Willimantic, Linda directed the Guild’s Adult Broadway Chorus and Classic Chorale as well as the pit orchestra in many of their musical productions. She was also the creator and director of the Capitol Theatre Summer Chorus in Willimantic for many years. Since retiring from teaching in 2018, Linda has played trombone in the Windham Concert Band and violin in NCCO. Linda has also tapped into her love of the visual arts, becoming a pastel artist and published illustrator. Her paintings are featured in the book, “A Pagan’s Path to Meditation: 10 Meditations for Yoga and Nature Lovers,” by Willington resident Val Rogers. Linda is excited to work with NCCO in the role of conductor and thanks the entire ensemble for their support, teamwork and camaraderie.
Fall Concert 2024
Friday, November 22nd at 7:00pm
Clark Chapel, Pomfret, CT
Sunday, November 24th at 2:00pm
Clark Chapel, Pomfret, CT
Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Music
The concert “Classic to Contemporary” features music ranging from Jean Sibelius’ “Impromptu" and Peter Warlock’s "Capriol Suite" to a medley of favorites from "Mamma Mia" by the Swedish pop group ABBA. You are sure to enjoy Vanessa Pentz’s soaring oboe solo, floating atop the strings, on Ennio Morricone’s "Gabriel’s Oboe”. It’s been clear to orchestra members that one of our new conductor Linda Tracy’s favorites on the contemporary side of the program is a string arrangement of Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award winning song “Freedom” as Linda urges on the string orchestra and percussionists in rehearsal to capture the energy and spirit of Batiste’s music: “It’s time to boogie, people! Don’t fight the feeling-get your groove on!” On the Classic side, a highlight of the program will be the exciting and entertaining "Handel / Halvorsen Passacaglia Duet for Viola and Violin". Guest violist Dylan Lomangino, who was NCCO conductor until November 2023, when he turned the baton over to Linda, will team up with NCCO violinist Dustin Rood. Dustin is a talented and award winning violinist who is about to graduate from E. O. Smith High School and then he’s off to Ithaca College to major in violin performance.
History of the Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra
By Jane Anderson Vercelli, NCCO presidentThe Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra (NCCO) is a non-audition based musical group open to anyone who plays violin, viola, cello or string bass. We are a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization funded by grants and contributions from our members and supporters. We perform concerts in May and November each year, usually at the historic Clark Memorial Chapel on the beautiful campus of Pomfret School, Route 169/44, Pomfret. Admission is free. Donations are accepted at the door and may be mailed to: NCCO, Saul Ahola, 88 Butts Rd., Woodstock, Conn. Anyone who would like to play music with us is welcome to attend rehearsals on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. in Ashford. For details, email janevercelli@gmail.com or call 860 428-4633. The orchestra was founded in January 2012 by violin virtuoso Yaroslav “Yarek” Tereshchenko, along with his students James Bump and Jane Vercelli who had been playing viola duets for years with the hope that someday they could form a string orchestra. At the first rehearsal 20 musicians attended: 14 violins, 3 cellos and 3 violas. The musicians who played in the orchestra during the first year and who are still playing with us today include: Saul Ahola, Wesley Eaton, Michael Geigert, Sara Harkness, Melissa Joyal, Kurt Kaufman and his daughter Margalit, Joan Sinder, Jane Vercelli and Jan Zarcharski. For five years, Jim Bump was music librarian, and Jane Vercelli handled all communications between Yarek and the musicians. In 2014, violist Dylan Lomangino, then a University of Connecticut student, became assistant conductor. In 2017, Yarek moved out of the area, Dylan took over as principal conductor, Ellen Browne became assistant conductor, Melissa Joyal succeeded Jim Bump as music librarian, and Saul Ahola became treasurer and filed paperwork for our 501(c)(3) non profit status. Sadly, Jim Bump died in November 2017. Dylan continued at the helm until November 2023 when he passed the baton to NCCO violinist Linda Tracy of Storrs, a veteran music teacher who is also the founder and artistic director of Take Note!, an a cappella choral ensemble.
Read About Us
Officers
| President | Jane Anderson Vercelli |
| Vice President | Melissa Joyal |
| Treasurer | Saul Ahola |
| Secretary | Karen Robert |
Musical Leaders
| Conductor | Linda Tracy |
| Assistant Conductors | Vanessa Pentz & Ellen Browne |
| Concertmaster | Brieanna Toedt |
| Principal 2nd Violin | Jan Zarcharski |
| Principal Viola | Francis De Rege |
| Principal Cello | Jennifer Owen |
Backstage Support
| Graphic Design | Rachel Lewis |
| Music Librarian | Melissa Joyal |
| Concert Program Booklet | Saul Ahola |
| Karen Robert | |
| Rehearsals | Jennifer and Jesse Owen |
| Audio/Video | Mark Thayer, Signature Sounds |
| Website | Gale Olsen |
Support Us
We have two free programs each per year. Please consider
a donation at our next concert. Donations may be mailed to:
Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra, Inc
88 Butts Road
Woodstock, CT 06281
The orchestra has been delighted by a grant from CT Humanities in 2022 for $5500 which was extremely helpful during COVID and grateful for another grant for $5200 to support our community orchestra in 2023. The grants were made possible by the CT State Legislature, who during the pandemic designated monies for support of community-based art, humanities and cultural non-profit organizations through the CT State Dept of Economic and Community Development and the CT Office of the Arts. CT Humanities is the statewide nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) which administers the grant funds.
Rehearsals
Come Play With Us
The Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra is a non
audition-based string orchestra open to anyone who plays
violin, viola, cello or string bass. Our members include
people who played a string instrument when they were
children, gave it up and are relearning to play. We also
have members who began playing one string instrument or
another for the first time late in life.
The strength of our group is that we have several
conservatory-trained musicians who provide musical
leadership for those players who have not had the advantage
of many years of music lessons or of majoring in music in
college.
The disparity in musicianship is reflected in the attendance
at orchestra rehearsals. Those players who are the most
proficient are welcome to attend only the “full rehearsals”
designated by our conductor, Dylan Lomangino, several times
per semester. Those of us who are weaker players try to attend
all the rehearsals to iron out the kinks in our playing. For us,
missing a rehearsal is a rare occurrence.
Many folks appreciate the diversity of our musical selections
which have ranged in age and complexity from Vivaldi and Mozart
to Scott Joplin and the Beatles. We have played music by
Albinoni, Handel, Telemann, Bach, Haydn and Strauss. We have
enjoyed traditional tunes from the British Isles and Christmas
carols from France. We have reveled in Andante Festivo by
Sibelius and felt the creativity of a little known Lullaby by
Gershwin.
If you or someone you know would like to join us, please come to
a rehearsal or phone Jane Vercelli at 860 428-4633.
Where and When
Fall 2024 Schedule:
Friday, September 6 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, September 13 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, September 20 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, September 27 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, October 4 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford- Rehearsal
Friday, October 11 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford- Rehearsal
Friday, October 18 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, October 25 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, November 1 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, November 8 @ 6:30pm - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ashford - Rehearsal
Friday, November 15 @ 6:30pm - dress rehearsal, Clark Chapel
Friday, November 22 @ 7:00pm - concert, Clark Chapel
Sunday, November 24 @ 2:00pm - concert, Clark Chapel
Contact Us
Email: mail@NortheastConnecticutCommunityOrchestra.org or Click Here to launch in your local email program