Stavanger Symphony - 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?'

Stavanger Symphony prepares to play
at
The Norwegian Seamens Church
317 East 52nd St.
NYC

Arne Almroth - Artistic Director
discusses the state of the 'Arts'
at the Seamens Church Library

If you are in or around Manhattan on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011,
you have got to get out to see and hear the magnificent
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall;
performing on the Perelman Stage at the Stern Auditorium, at 8PM.

E-Mail me for a discount code if you plan on attending. BILLOSMUNDSEN@aol.com

The Stavanger Symphony brought about half of their full 80 person orchestra to the Norwegian Seamens Church, located on 52nd St. between 1st and 2nd Avenue, NY, this Saturday for a musical appetizer of sorts. The mini concert, which lasted about one hour was led by their gifted Conductor and Violin Soloist, Fabio Biondi and was a taste of what we can expect on Wednesday night, at Carnegie Hall. Like a good appetizer we really can't wait for the 'full course'.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Artistic Director, Arne Almroth and chatting about the orchestra. Soon our discussion led to the 'state of the Arts' in Stavanger, Norway and the US.
I mentioned New York's classical radio station WQXR which with WNEW combined had to go into public broadcasting. WQXR could no-longer pay their own way as a commercial classic radio station and WNEW, which is mostly news and talk, these days, may have NPR's (National Public Radio) , which is it's news division cut from it's government subsidy. This with the cutting of Art and Music programs from public schools paints a bleak cultural picture here in the United States.

Arne explained Stavanger like Houston, Texas is an oil town;- has gained great wealth and is fast growing. But part of the strategic planning for the infrastructure of Stavanger is to expand in all areas, of which, the 'Arts' are important, to the life blood of Stavanger, as an international city.
Since 2008, Stavanger has been working towards the opening, in September of 2012, of a multi-million dollar Concert Hall. http://www.regionstavanger.com/en/Product/?TLp=412757

"We actually feel quite humbled to come and play at Carnegie Hall," Arne reflected, "We have played throughout Europe but this will be our first engagement in the United States."

Did Arne know how to get to Carnegie Hall?
"We are staying in a Hotel on the next block but...
Oh! yes, we have been practicing, practicing, practicing."

Don't miss Wednesdays concert.

Bill Osmundsen
Greenwich Village
NY