Accordionist Henry Doktorski will play in the orchestra for 9 performances of Kurt Weill’s opera ‘Lost in the Stars’ at the Glimmerglass Music Festival, at the Alice Busch Opera Theater, Otesgo Lake, New York State. The festival runs from July 14th to August 24th.
Performance dates are:
22nd July 2012
28th July 2012
3rd August 2012 at 7:30 PM
7th August 2012 at 1:30 PM
11th August 2012 at 8:PM
16th August 2012 at 7:30 PM
18th August 2012 at 1:30 PM
20th August 2012 at 1:30 PM
25th August 2012 at 1:30 PM
Check times close to the concert date as some might be matinee performances.
Presented by Cape Town Opera, “Lost in the Stars’” is the story of a South African priest’s spiritual crisis, based on ‘Cry, the Beloved Country’, the classic novel by Alan Paton, and starring 2012 Glimmerglass Artist in Residence Eric Owens.
Henry Doktorski is an accomplished accordionist, teacher and writer. Doktorski was featured as accordion soloist in six compact discs:
▪ “A Classical Christmas” with the Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra (Alanna Records, 1993),
▪ “Music by George Gershwin” with the Duquesne Chamber Players (Alanna Records, 1998—This CD was part of a tribute for the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s birth)
▪”Vaudeville Accordion Classics: The Complete Works of Guido Deiro” (2003 solo album, Bridge Records),
▪”Classical Accordion Recital” (2005 solo album, The Classical Free-Reed, Inc.),
▪”Celebrated Polkas by Pietro Deiro” (2006 solo album, The Classical Free-Reed, Inc.),
▪”Ave Maria: Hymns to Mary” (2007 solo album, The Classical Free-Reed, Inc.).
Doktorski also played accordion with Itzhak Perlman and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Williams on the 1997 Sony Classical Records CD (SK 63005) Cinema Serenade which appeared on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart for 92 weeks, where it reached number one.
Doktorski has had articles and letters printed in diverse publications ranging from the scholarly journal. “Music Theory—Explorations and Applications” to” Rolling Stone”; from the new-age journal, “”Uzubuh to the Danish accordion magazine “Harmonikacentret”; from “The Pittsburgh Catholic” and many more.
He has written over 130 reviews as well as dozens of articles which can be read on The Classical Free-Reed, Inc. website. His pioneering research work, “The Classical Squeezebox—A Short History of the Accordion in Classical Music” was published by the British international journal Musical Performance. His book, “The Brothers Deiro and Their Accordions”, was the first published biography of those two early accordion pioneers: Guido Deiro and Pietro Deiro. His “How To Play Diatonic Button Accordion Method Book” & CD was published by Santorella Publications.
Doktorski has written CD booklet notes for Bridge Records and Archeophone Records. His “Complete Works of Guido Deiro” printed music anthology was published by Mel Bay Publications in 2008.[.
Doktorski is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the academic honor society in the field of music, and is a member of the advisory and editorial board for The Center for the Study of Free-Reed Instruments at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. His composition “Serenade for oboe and harp” was recorded by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members oboist James Gorton and harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen, on Boston Records CD.
Today Doktorski serves as organist for Grace Lutheran Church in Rochester, Pennsylvania (he was awarded the title of Colleague by the American Guild of Organists), conductor for the Alcoa Singers of Pittsburgh, and also as a chess instructor and tournament director for Silver Knights Chess.
For further information on the Glimmerglass Festival: email: blesavoy@glimmerglass.org.
Katherine Kozak, Glimmerglass’ Principal Coach and Accompanist for Lost in the Stars, spoke at length about the accordion in Kurt Weill’s opera. Click see her quote
