Come enjoy the sounds of a professional symphony right close to home! The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra is located in Waterbury, Connecticut, performing both classical and popular music throughout the year. Whether you are an avid symphony goer, a musician, or just someone that likes to listen to great music, be sure to check us out! We have great ticket prices for all ages (including great student prices) and always have group discounts available.

Saturday, May 10, 2007, 8:15 PM

The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra hosts the community celebration of the legendary pops composer, Leroy Anderson. Mr. Anderson lived in Woodbury, CT, and was often referred to as "a craftsman of genius" in reference to his legendary pops compositions, including Sleigh Ride, Buglar's Holiday, and Blue Tango. The concert features Simon Tedeschi performing Anderson's Piano Concerto, and other favorites like Sandpaper Ballet, Blue Tango, and Buglar's Holiday. "Though we have performed his works countless times over the years at the Boston Pops, his music remains forever as young and fresh as the very first day on which it was composed." John Williams, Composer and Conductor Laureate, Boston Pops Orchestra

Call for tickets (203) 574-4283 or Click here!

For more information on classical concerts or pops concerts that the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra is performing, contact our offices at (203) 574-4283 or visit our website!

The Town of West Hartford is a full-service community in every sense, from its quality municipal services to its recreational facilities and cultural events. The Town of West Hartford prides itself on its overall attractiveness, customer service, citizen involvement, public safety, and education, all characteristics that make West Hartford a desirable place to live. West Hartford is also the the "city of license" for WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio!

Click here to find out "What's New" in West Hartford. If you are interested in visiting West Hartford you can click here, to discover the many restaurants, stores and vacation spots perfect for you and your family.

 

Saturday, May 17

The West Hartford Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of its conductor Richard Chiarappa, will present its annual “Pops” Concert as the final performance of its sixth season. The performance will take place in the West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium on Saturday evening, May 17th, at 8:00 p.m. The concert, featuring soprano Naomi Cohen, will have music from Broadway, Tin Pan Alley and the concert stage, and will also pay tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Connecticut composer Leroy Anderson. In addition, a surprise novelty piece composed by conductor Chiarappa featuring a local “bass drummer” is sure to delight and amuse the audience. For tickets, please call: 860-521-4362 or order online from the website: www.whso.org. Ticket prices are $24 for reserved table seats, $18 unreserved, and $12 for students/seniors (unreserved). Tickets will also be sold at the door, which opens at 7:15 PM

May 21

Interested in Politics, History and the People Involved? Join us for an evening with one of the architects of the Middle East Peace Process, Ambassador Dennis Ross on May 21, 2008, 7:30 pm at the Mandell JCC, Zachs Campus, 335 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford. Ambassador Ross served as the director for policy planning in the State Department under President George H.W. Bush and special Middle East coordinator under President Bill Clinton. Presented by the New Jewish Book Festival's Four Seasons of Literary Excellence. Reserve your seats now! Call Delly London at 860-231-6316 to reserve your tickets today. Tickets are non-refundable and no exchanges are allowed. Sponsor's Dinner with Ambassador Ross: $150 per person. General Admission: $30 per adult and $20 per student.

Thursday, May 29

THURSDAY, MAY 29 at 7:30 p.m. JOEL DERFNER "Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever" (memoir) Written with wicked humor and keen insight, at once a hilarious look at contemporary ideas about gay culture and a poignant exploration of identity that will speak to all readers—gay, straight, and in between. [Book signing follows reading] RESERVE SEATS for these book readings by clicking the link above, then visiting the reservations page. All events are at the Noah Webster (Main) Library, 20 S. Main Street, West Hartford, unless otherwise noted. Call the library for more details: 860-561-6990. http://www.westhartfordlibrary.org/authorslive/

Richard Chiarappa, Music Director  

The West Hartford Symphony Orchestra is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our charming town of West Hartford, and presenting the highest quality of orchestral concerts for people of all ages. We sincerely hope you will attend our local performances and also that you will actively support the orchestra by volunteering to help out in one of the many ways necessary to make this a vital and exciting organization. If you are unable to support us physically, please consider supporting us financially as we endeavor to develop this unique, new addition to the town of West Hartford. Please visit the WHSO’s website at www.whso.org or call 860-521-4362 for tickets or if you would like to join!

The
West Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Richard Chiarappa, Music Director

Please join us for our annual Pops Concert!
as we celebrate our Connecticut composer

Leroy Anderson's Centennial

Please Note:  This concert will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium

Celebrate! West Hartford

June 14 and 15, 2008
West Hartford, Connecticut

West Hartford's 22nd annual celebration
Free Admission - Rain or Shine

Click here for more information and to link to the Official site!

Celebrate! West Hartford is a highly attended, annual tradition that promotes, embraces and celebrates community life. Take part in the 5K Road Race, take the kids to the International Food Court, ride the rides and check out the Arts & Crafts Show and the more than 175 artist from all over the world!

Attracting well over 30,000 people each year, Celebrate! also provides festival attendees with a wide range of wholesome family activities – an award winning juried arts & crafts show, great food, entertainment, games, rides, a certified 5K road race – as the saying goes, "something for everyone".

The event offers civic, service, sports, schools and charitable organizations a way to increase community awareness and an opportunity to raise funds for their worthy causes. Located on the beautiful Town Hall Common, 50 South Main Street in West Hartford Center, the Arts & Crafts Show features more than 175 master artists and crafters whose work represents some of the finest in New England. Most of the participants enjoy a high level of success and return year after year, much to the delight of their devoted customers.

You can also stop by the Beethoven Radio tent to meet Scott and Nicole! We've got prizes, CD's, Books and lots of free items! You can also meet the mysterious Mr. Sincere!

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is Connecticut’s premier musical organization and is widely recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra believes passionately in the performance of live symphonic music and its value in the community. To that end, the mission of the HSO is to perform live orchestral music of the highest quality for ever-expanding audiences, and to increase through its educational programs the understanding and enjoyment of that music by residents in Connecticut. The 2007/2008 season is almost here! Get your tickets now to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra! Call for info about the cost saving FlexPass - 860-244-2999!!

The society presents public concerts featuring world-renowned musicians and promising local artists. Our signature series, The Guitar Masters Series, brings to southern New England many of the worlds best known and most outstanding internationally acclaimed musicians. This year marks a new era in our history, with the debut of a new Bushnell Concert Series in the elegant Belding Theater at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford. The Society also hosts the Guitar & Friends Concert Series in intimate settings. Not all concerts are classical in format. Some concerts feature jazz, folk, and more! 

MASTER CLASSES 

Guitarists! Don’t miss these rare opportunities to learn from internationally renowned concert artists and master teachers. Call for dates and details. All guitar enthusiasts may attend as observers. For Ticket Information, please contact the Guitar Society's office at (860) 249-7041 or visit the website at www.ccgs.org.

For Ticket Information, please contact the Guitar Society's office at (860) 249-7041 or visit the website at www.ccgs.org.

 Noche de Tango - Saturday, May 10, 2008 8:00 PM
Saint Joseph College, Hartford

Cem Duruöz, guitar, with Argentine bandoneon master Raul Jaurena and guest dancers. This magical evening of Tango music brings together passionate guitar playing with the sultry sounds of the bandoneon and sensual dance moves. Truly not to be missed!

Connecticut Opera Presents the 2007 - 2008 Season!

The 2007 / 2008 season of the Connecticut Opera will be held on two different stages! See performances at the Mortensen Theatre and Belding Theatre, both located at the Bushnell in Hartford!

Connecticut Opera's 66th Season
Love Changes Everyone!

Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini Love changes a diva into an assassin! On the Mortensen Stage November 1 & 3, 2007

La Cenerentola, by Gioachino Rossini Love changes a maid into a princess! On the Belding Stage March 7, 9, 13 & 15, 2008

The Abduction from the Seraglio, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Love changes an abductor into a liberator! On the Belding Stage May 30, June 1, 5 & 7, 2008

Click here to order tickets!

Subscriptions for the Connecticut Opera 2005-2006 Season are now on sale! To purchase your subscription, call 860-527-0713, Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm. You can also contact the Box Office by mail at Connecticut Opera Box Office, 226 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105

Soul Friends is a non-profit organization that provides both clinical Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Humane Education to children and adolescents. Our clinical, educational and consultation services are detailed in this site. Our mission is to provide healing, comfort and education through the benefits of incorporating a therapeutic animal as part of a treatment plan or educational program under the close supervision of a licensed professional. The power of the unconditional love of a highly trained pet partner is undeniable and inspiring. Soul Friends was founded to provide holistic animal assisted therapy programs and humane education that address the emotional, therapeutic and educational needs of children and adolescents.

Animal Assisted Therapy (A.A.T.)
Animal Assisted Therapy is a goal-directed intervention in which clinicians have expertise in the integration of animals into the treatment process.
Humane Education
Humane education programs incorporate the appreciation of social and environmental issues that affect our world.
Consultation
Consultation services are provided by appointment to individuals and organizations interested in learning more about Animal Assisted Therapy and Humane Education.
We Love Animals!
A hands-on interactive program that serves to promote children’s respect for animals and the natural world.

SUNKEN GARDEN POETRY FESTIVAL

Since 1992, audiences have enjoyed verse and music among the fragrant blooms of Hill-Stead’s Sunken Garden. This performance series has featured the likes of Billy Collins, Yusef Komunyakaa, Maxine Kumin and Grace Paley. Festivities include a plein air café and bookstore and meet-the-poet opportunities. Time: Gates open at 5:30 pm. Poetry and music performances: 6:30—8:30 pm. Format will be mixed; some evenings, poetry and music will be separate, other evenings they will be interspersed. Location:
Hill-Stead Museum
35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT 06032
Telephone: 860.677.4787

Click here for more information.

OPENING NIGHT
June 11, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Robert Pinsky
Author of numerous volumes of poetry (including The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems 1966—1996, a Pulitzer Prize nominee), books about poetry (including Poetry and The World, nominated for the National Book Critics' Circle Award), and translations of poetry (including the Los Angeles Times book award winner The Inferno of Dante), Robert Pinsky has earned praise for his dynamism, imagination and range. He served as United States Poet Laureate from 1997—2000, appointed by the Library of Congress in 1999 to an unprecedented third term. In 1999 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recipient of the PEN/Voelcker Award, the William Carlos Williams Prize, the Lenore Marshall, and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture's 2006 Jewish Cultural Achievement Award in Literary Arts, Pinsky teaches in the graduate writing program at Boston University, writes the weekly "Poet's Choice" column for the Washington Post, and serves as the poetry editor for the online magazine Slate.

June 25, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Connecticut Poetry Circuit Winners
Five winners of a Connecticut Poetry Circuit-sponsored, state-wide poetry contest among Connecticut college students will captivate the audience with their work. Poets include: Tess Bird, a Women's Studies major with a concentration in Creative Writing at the University of Connecticut; Lisa Butler, a Visual Fine Arts major at Manchester Community College; Chiara Di Lello, a student at Wesleyan University; Taylor Katz, an English major with a concentration in Poetry and a Religious Studies minor at Connecticut College; and Tyler Theofilos, a senior English major in the Writing Concentration at Yale University.

Coleman Barks
A renowned poet and bestselling author of The Essential Rumi, The Soul of Rumi, Rumi: The Book of Love, Rumi: Bridge to the Soul et al., Coleman Barks was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in Persian language and literature by the University of Tehran for his thirty years of translating Rumi (Sufi mystic, 1207—1273). Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mr. Barks taught poetry and creative writing at the University of Georgia for thirty years. He has been a student of Sufism since 1977. Mr. Barks will read the poetry of Rumi with musical accompaniment by Grammy Award winning cellist and composer Eugene Friesen. Barks and Friesen "weave a magic carpet of poetry, stories and humor."

July 9, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Billy Collins
United States Poet Laureate 2001—2003 and New York State Poet Laureat 2004—2006, Billy Collins combines critical acclaim with popular appeal. Recipient of fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and of awards such as the Oscar Blumenthal Prize, the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Prize, Collins has published eight collections of poetry, including Questions About Angels, The Art of Drowning, Picnic, Taking Off Emily Dickinson's Clothes, Nine Horses, and The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems. Upon reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival in 1999, Collins proclaimed the festival "a cultural phenomenon."

July 23, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Patricia Fargnoli & Ilya Kaminsky
Patricia Fargnoli, the New Hampshire Poet Laureate, is the author of 3 books and 2 chapbooks of poetry. Her first book, Necessary Light (Utah State University Press, 1999) won the May Swenson Book Award, and her latest book, Duties of the Spirit (Tupelo Press, 2005), is the winner of the prestigious 2005 Jane Kenyon Poetry Book Award for Outstanding Poetry published by a New Hampshire author in the preceding two years. Her poems have appeared in literary journals such as Poetry, Ploughshares and The Mid-American Review, and have been published internationally in Turkey, China and Canada. In addition to her career as a poet, Ms. Fargnoli is a retired social worker/psychotherapist and a past member of the National Association of Poetry Therapists.

August 6, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Paul Muldoon
Pulitzer Prize winner and author of 10 collections of poetry, Irish poet Paul Muldoon was recently appointed poetry editor of The New Yorker magazine. In addition to his "stimulating, provocative and unfailingly interesting" poetry (Maria Johnson, Contemporary Poetry Review), Muldoon has won awards for songs co-written with Warren Zevon and Bruce Springsteen. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Paul Muldoon was given an American Academy of Arts and Letters award in literature in 1996. Other awards inlcude the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Irish Times Poetry Prize, the 2003 Griffin International Prize for Excellence in Poetry, the 2005 Aspen Prize for Poetry, and the 2006 European Prize for Poetry, inter al.

August 20, Wednesday, 6:30 pm
NIGHT OF FRESH VOICES
Connecticut high school artists from diverse cultural backgrounds present award-winning verse. Participants to be announced. Guitarist Freddie Bryant presents a "gorgeous blend of delicate harmonics, etherial harmonies and rhythmic freedom" with "an incendiary groove" (Jim Fergeson, Jazz Times Magazine).

When you visit the Constitution State, take part in the Heritage Trails Sightseeing Tours. Pick from a variety of tours: The Charter Oak Tree Tour, The Hartford - City of Heritage Tour, Ancient Graveyards, Amistad Sites & Black History Freedom Trail of Farmington Tour and more! Beethoven Radio is even part of the tour!

See and learn all about Hartford - one end to the other - in just two fascinating hours on our fact-filled guided luxury mini-bus tour with lively commentary. Familiarize yourself with our capital city before doing anything else! Stops made for commentary and photos. Call for a tour today 860 677-8867. Or click on the Charter Oak Tree to link to the Heritage Trails website!

With over 24 years of tour experience our guide will "Step-On" your large tour bus, mini bus, van, car or limousine and present your choice of the following two-hour tours seen below. Click on the title of any tour below for a detailed description of each tour.

Click "Step-On Guide" for more information. Our expert tour guide, historian and author will board your vehicle and give the following tours of Hartford and Farmington Connecticut.

The Hartt School is an internationally acclaimed conservatory with innovative programs in music, dance, and theatre. In 1920, Julius Hartt, Moshe Paranov and associated teachers founded The Hartt School, which became one of the three founding institutions of the University of Hartford in 1957. Home to the Miami String Quartet and the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, The Hartt School stresses excellence in the performing arts. Alongside traditional performance-oriented majors in music performance, jazz, music theatre, theatre (actor training) and dance, programs that stress the academic side of the arts are also available. Studies in music history, music theory, music education and composition form a well-rounded school creating not only talented performers, but well educated musicians. As well as the more traditional majors, Hartt offers cutting-edge programs in music management, performing arts management, and music production and technology.

With a strong tradition of excellence, Hartt continues to provide students with talented artist-faculty. Recognized nationally and internationally as performers, educators, composers, and scholars, Hartt faculty members are active, talented artists who continue to excel in the arts. Through performances, recordings, books, articles, major awards, grants, and fellowships the faculty set an excellent example for their students. Interaction between faculty and students provides the framework for the development of future professional performing artists, arts managers, composers, music and production technologists, and teachers. A strong commitment to the select student body insures a high quality of education that is seen through the successes of Hartt’s alumni.

With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt’s curriculum. For more information on The Hartt School or to view a list of upcoming performances, visit us at www.hartford.edu/hartt.

The mission of The President's College at the University of Hartford is to create an extended community of thinking people dedicated to the importance of the life of the mind. By offering a wide range of activities, The President's College allows its participants to explore significant topics at a high intellectual level under the guidance of university-level faculty. The President's College extends the University of Hartford's educational mission by engaging the adult population of its surrounding communities in the intellectual life of the campus, thus building significant connections between them and the university.

The President's College is a non-credit program offering short courses and activities for adults, taught by visiting lecturers and members of the University of Hartford faculty. Its mission is to create an extended community of thinking people who are interested in learning new things under the guidance of our leading professors. The President's College extends the University of Hartford's educational mission by engaging the adult population of the surrounding communities in the intellectual and academic life of the campus.

Members of the President's College (known as Fellows) enjoy participation in the numerous events that take place on the campus - lectures, musical and theatrical performances, art shows. They have library privileges, parking privileges, and numerous other advantages and discounts. 

Upcoming Programs

• Christina the Astonishing and Her Spiritual Sisters: Three Medieval Women Saints, Their Lives, and What They Tell Us About Today - Jennifer Brown
• The Novels of Anthony Trollope: Power, Provinces and Parliament in Victorian England - Dianne Harrison
• Our Environment - Wick Griswold, Stephan Bullard, Marissa Cloutier,
  with David Goldenberg
• The High Renaissance in Florence, Rome and Venice - Patrick McCaughey
• Shakespearean Nights: Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Humphrey Tonkin
• The Worlds of the Deaf - Timothy Reagan and Humphrey Tonkin
• So Many Grails, So Little Time: The Grail from "A" to "Zed" - Kathleen McGrory
• Fridays at the Mortensen
• And Still to Come…
  We’re planning several musical sessions – on Rachmaninoff and Mahler, and on the two Connecticut Opera productions La Cenerentola and The Abduction from the Seraglio. We’ll announce them soon. We are also working on a couple of additional courses and programs for the month of May.

Registration
Register by Phone
Call 860.768.4350 between 9am and 4pm, Monday through Friday

Register by Mail (Click here to access a form)
Mail your registration form to:

The President's College
University of Hartford
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117-1599

Register by Fax Fax your registration form to: 860.768.4274

Foodshare is the regional food bank and distributes more than 11 tons of food each day to 350 local programs that feed hungry people in Hartford and Tolland Counties. Foodshare provides food to food pantries, community kitchens, shelters, and other social service organizations in every town in greater Hartford. These programs serve children, families, and seniors and provide over a quarter of a million meals each month! Foodshare is an efficient and cost-effective way to ensure that hungry people are fed. For every $30 donated, Foodshare can provide enough food for one person for a month. Only 5% of donated resources are spent on management and fundraising, 95% goes directly to feeding hungry people. 100,000 people still go to these private emergency food programs in greater Hartford each year.Most people in need are families (40,000 of our hungry neighbors are children!) a one-third of households needing help have at least one adult working. With all Foodshare has accomplished, it is still not enough. The 8.3 million pounds of food distributed last year works out to only 83 pounds per hungry person per year – less than two pounds of food per person per week. We have to keep up the effort to do more!

Foodshare needs you! Your gifts of time, talent, and treasure are vital to its success. There are many ways to support Foodshare and ensure that our hungry neighbors have enough to eat. Visit www.foodshare.org or call 860-286-9999 to make a donation, become a volunteer, or find out more information.