2023 Sonata Saturdays Season
Symphonic sounds will weave their way through historic downtown New Bedford this summer with the return of Sonata Saturdays.
This free outdoor concert series, now in its third season, is a partnership between The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (NBSO), New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, and The Drawing Room.
The fourth Saturday of each month, small groups of NBSO musicians will delight the neighborhood and summer visitors with a variety of classical and popular music.
This year, Sonata Saturdays will be held in the garden of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center, located at 33 William Street, on the 4th Saturday of June, July, August, and September from 4-6pm. Musicians will perform twice each day, with programs beginning at 4-4:45 pm and repeating at 5-5:45 pm. Some chairs will be provided, but you may also bring your own to secure a seat.
Each Saturday will include special events at The Drawing Room, including wine tastings, locally-grown flowers, baked and frozen treats, and of course, artful treasures inside the art and design shop.
Stop by and experience something beautiful.
Sonata Saturdays 2023 Program
June 24: Jennifer Memoli, violin and Bonnie Harlow, cello
Jennifer Memoli, violin, and Bonnie Harlow, cello, will be performing a mixture of Baroque, Romantic, and Classical music. These pieces were written between the 1700s and 1900s. The Baroque era includes renowned composers such as Johan Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frederick Handel. The Romantic era includes composers such as Berlioz, Schumann, Beethoven, and Mozart. The Classical era had other wonderful composers, such as Chopin, Sibelius, Verdi, Dvorak, and Vaughn Williams.
Musicians will perform twice each day, with programs beginning at 4-4:45 pm and repeating at 5-5:45 pm.
July 22: Anna Griffis (viola) and her partner Jensen Ling (bassoon)
Violist Anna Griffis and bassoonist Jensen Ling highlight the pairing of two instruments with a natural affinity but very little music expressly written for them. This program spans the baroque to the 20th century with pieces arranged (or finagled) to fit the bassoon and viola. Works include J.S. Bach's Four Duets, Beethoven's Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon in C major, Rebecca Clarke's Lullaby and Grotesque, and Phillip Hersant's Duo Sephardim, the only work written specifically for this instrumentation.
August 26: The Horns of the New Bedford Symphony Present: Horns in Harmony
The Horns of the New Bedford Symphony perform a variety of works that celebrate the versatility and unique character of the instrument, with its rich and powerful sound being utilized in various ways throughout the program. The concert begins with an arrangement of Mozart’s uplifting and virtuosic Magic Flute Overture and continues with suites by Alfred Reed and Nikolai Tcherepnin, which showcase the different characters of the horn in short movements ranging from courtly tunes, to folks songs, to rousing hunting calls. The program concludes with four selections from Lowell Shaw’s lighthearted and jazzy “Fripperies” for horn quartet.
September 23: Timothy Macri, flute and Luis Avila, guitar
Timothy Macri and Luis Avila have worked as a duo for 10 years. Their programs often include multi-cultural music, classical, show tunes and, occasionally, a vocal or two by Mr. Macri! Impromptu sing-alongs have even been known to break out from time to time! Audiences always find their programs fun and engaging.
These events are free and open to the public. No ticket is required, but you can RSVP to get an reminder about the event.