On Saturday, November 23rd, Philadelphia Virtuosi will be bringing their performance of Bon Appétit to the Capital City. This one of a kind show will take place at 7:30 pm at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium, located at 205 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ. Under the direction of Musical Director, Daniel Spalding, the Philadelphia Virtuosi will delight crowds with a charming homage to the life and legacy of Julia Child. The evening’s performance will be held in honor of honors Tammy Murphy and Governor Phil Murphy for their dedication and support for New Jersey Arts.
Selections for the evening’s performance include:
- Camile Saint Saëns: The Wedding Cake
- Chopin: Etude, Op. 25 No. 2 (The Honey Bees)
- Scott Joplin: Pineapple Rag, Artem Tenkeli, piano soloist
- Bohuslav Martinu: La Revue de Cuisine (ballet)
- Lee Hoiby: Bon Appétit!, staring Christine Meadows as Julia Child
Following the performance, attendees can enjoy a sweet treat with a chocolate cake reception.
Lee Hoiby’s one person comic opera portrays Julia Child baking a chocolate cake on her PBS show “French Chef”, almost word for word. Christine Meadows, as Julia Child, keeps you in stiches without skipping a beat. In fact, while singing on stage, she will be baking an actual chocolate cake! The tuneful music of Saint Saëns and Martinu rounds out this triple bill with National Champion Ballroom Dancers Anton Domansky and Ruth Hernández, and acclaimed pianist Artem Tenkeli. There will also be plenty of surprises in store, so stay tuned for all of the excitement that is to come.
For those interested in attending, tickets can be purchased on the Philadelphia Virtuosi website, linked here: PV – Bon Appétit. Ticket prices are $40 for general seating and $60 for VIP seating, which includes front and center visibility. Availability for premium seating is limited, so if you are interested in securing the best seat in the house, be sure to snag your tickets as soon as possible.
For more information on the Philadelphia Virtuosi and their upcoming events, please visit their website, linked here: PVCO – Home. This remarkable performance is in town for one night only, so be certain to secure your tickets today.
Daniel Spalding’s artistic vision continues to unfold in front of growing and delighted audiences. Since its founding in 2013, he propelled the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic into a respected regional professional orchestra of the highest quality with internationally acclaimed guest artists and innovative programs. His lifetime of experience includes serving as Music Director of the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra for over 33 years, a world class ensemble that has performed in 29 states, Europe, South America, and Mexico, and has recorded numerous acclaimed Grammy nominated recordings. He has conducted many European orchestras including the London Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, National Russian Philharmonic, Hungarian State Opera, Bach Orchestre de Paris, and Belgrade Philharmonic and has appeared on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall. He is a former Assistant Conductor with the Houston Symphony and holds a M.M. degree from Northwestern University.
Romanian born pianist Gabriela Imreh has been principal soloist with the Philadelphia Virtuosi since 1991, joining the orchestra on numerous national and international tours. She has also captivated audiences on five continents, performing with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Vancouver Symphony, London Mozart Players, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Copenhagen’s Tivoli Festival Orchestra, and the Buenos Aries Philharmonic at Teatro Colon. As a recitalist, she has performed in over 150 American cities from coast-to-coast and at New York’s Lincoln Center and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall as well as a number of prestigious halls in Europe. She has many acclaimed CD’s to her credit, including her world premiere recording on Naxos with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra of the Vittorio Giannini Piano Concerto, a major work completely forgotten since its 1937 premiere by Rosalyn Tureck. Gramophone commented how “there’s masses of beefy bravura that she delivers with stunning command”. In addition to serving as Principal Soloist with the Philadelphia Virtuosi, Gabriela is also Creative Director, bringing to PVCO new and unusual stagings in many of their concerts. Her creativity enhances presentations with lighting, special clothes, costumes, stage movement, sets, props, narration, and other special effects, all meant to enhance the classical concert experience. Her diverse talents brought her to the attention of award winning choreographer Doug Varone, who placed Gabriela in the starring role as an actress, dancer, and pianist in his world premiere production of “Heaven” at the Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival.
Mezzo soprano Christine Meadows has performed in concert and opera throughout the U.S.A. Highlights from her career include performances with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and two seasons at theNew York City Opera. She has appeared with the opera companies of Greater Miami, Houston, Indianapolis, Tulsa, Central City, Florentine, Memphis, Louisville, Chattanooga, Virginia, Syracuse, Anchorage, Dallas and Minnesota. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Ms. Meadows has sung more than 20 roles with Portland Opera and has been a frequent soloist with the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle and Portland Baroque Orchestras, and numerous NW music organizations. Meadows served as Director of Opera at Portland State University where she had the pleasure of singing ¨Julia¨ in Lee Hoiby´s Bon Appetit! The Northwest Reverb said, ¨In teaching the audience how to make a Le Gâteau au Chocolat L’Éminence Brune, a classic French chocolate cake, Meadows nailed the persona and gestures of Child so well that it was outrageously funny and sort of flabbergasting at one gulp.”
Ruth Hernández is an accomplished Argentine tango dancer and instructor with a career spanning over 20 years. She has taught classes, led workshops, performed in shows, and participated in festivals across Chile, Argentina, and now the United States. In 2015, Ruth was honored with the “Outstanding Dancer” award at Chile’s National Tango Championship. In 2017, she received recognition from the renowned radio program “Malena Cuenta el Tango” of Los Angeles Municipality, Chile, for her remarkable tango career. She later secured the title of “Vice-Champion” at the National Tango Championship in 2018 and 2019. Ruth is also the founder of the online tango school “Al Sur Escuela de Tango” in Chile. Currently, she organizes “Milonga en Sol” in Hawthorne, NY, and “Santa Milonguita” in Stamford, Connecticut. She actively performs in various states and specializes in teaching women’s tango technique.
Anton Domansky is a champion Professional Ballroom and Latin dancer with over 30 years of competitive and show dance experience. Originally from Ukraine, he has been dancing since he was 8. After winning the Ukrainian National Youth Championship at 16, he went on to study with the world’s top teachers in London and Italy. Since immigrating to the US in 2001, he has won multiple US National Youth Ballroom and 10-dance championship titles and represented the US in three World Championships. After his first trip to Buenos Aires, Anton fell in love with Argentine Tango; 12 years later, he is US National Argentine Stage Tango Champion. Anton currently competes in both professional and pro-am divisions and performs with his students throughout the tri-state area. He also enjoys coaching ballroom couples, working with children, and volunteering as a dance mentor. As an instructor, Anton teaches both social and competitive styles. Taking a holistic approach to dancing, he helps students develop their full potential by moving in a way that is natural for the body. He has been studying the Feldenkrais Method for four years, incorporating advanced bodywork and awareness of movement into his teaching.
Russian born pianist Artem Tenkeli has graced the stages of prestigious venues and collaborated with top artists from renowned theaters. He performed with leading artists of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, with musicians from the Moscow Virtuosi under the direction of Spivakov and with musicians from the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra and the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fedoseev. He has worked with Gerard Vasiliev at the GITIS Theater Institute and as an accompanist at the Gorki Theater (MKHAT). Recently, he won the first prize in the PHL LIVE competition (2022) and impressed audiences at the Academy of Music with his performance in the Triumph competition of Rachmaninov (2023). He also won first prize in the Nevada International Competition (2024), and the Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition (2024). He has toured extensively as a concert pianist in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Tajikistan. He now resides in New Jersey, captivating audiences with his classical concerts. His recording of Chopin’s Nocturnes has been viewed over 4 million times on YouTube.
