Fifty former Hochstein students return to the Hochstein Performance Hall for a special concert by the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra on Friday, January 5 at 8:00 pm.
Created in 2010 by Director Evan Meccarello as a reunion of musicians with connections to Hochstein, the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra (HAO) has gathered alumni from far and wide each year to present free, high-quality concerts. Some of them are still living in Rochester and others moved away for school or work – but they share an excitement about being back at Hochstein and getting to make music with other alumni.
This year’s program includes a Haydn cello concerto featuring alumni soloist Jackie Hager; gorgeous overtures by Mendelssohn and Wolf; champion Scottish bagpiper Jake Kwiatkowski and the Hochstein Alumni Pipes & Drums performing the stately bagpipe tune Highland Cathedral; and new music by Hochstein alumnus Dave Kluge.
This will be the World Premiere of In bocca al lupo, written for the orchestra by Kluge, a Rochester composer and educator (he will also be playing bass in the orchestra). The title is an Italian idiom used to wish someone good luck, similar to “break a leg” in English. It literally means “in the mouth of the wolf.” His piece works to capture the contrast of fortune and misfortune through the use of minor and major tonalities.
The concert is free, with cash donations accepted to benefit Hochstein’s Tuition Assistance Program. The concert will also be livestreamed on Hochstein’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgZWNyZ-Hek.
Jackie Hager, a Rochester born cellist, attends the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Natasha Brofsky. As a soloist, she made her orchestral debut at age 12 with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and has since returned as a featured soloist with them and several other orchestras. She has performed in masterclasses for Wolfgang Schmidt, David Ying, Jeremy Denk, the Takacs Quartet, Patrick Owens, and others. In addition to performing as a soloist, Jackie collaborates and competes in prize-winning chamber groups. Jackie also enjoys teaching and was happy to return to Hochstein as a part of the 2023 summer faculty. Previously, Jackie was a student of Richard Aaron at the University of Michigan and Kathy Kemp at The Hochstein School. She received her Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Michigan.
Solo bagpiper Jake Kwiatkowski has traveled the United States, Canada, and Scotland to compete, perform, and educate. A grade-one solo competitor, he was a founding member of the Feadan Or Pipe Band in Rochester before competing with the world championship-winning 78th Fraser Highlanders in Toronto, Ontario. He has studied under some of the greatest living pipers. This year, he began teaching bagpipes at The Hochstein School. He holds a BA in History and Philosophy and an MS in Global Business and Leadership from Nazareth University.
Dave Kluge is a multifaceted bassist, composer, and educator based in Rochester, N.Y. As an active freelance bassist, he performs with several ensembles in the Rochester area. He has received commissions from The Penfield Music Commission Project, had his compositions and arrangements performed at The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, and has composed music for All-County orchestras as well as professional and student ensembles. Dave earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Jazz Studies from SUNY Fredonia and a Master’s in Music Education from Nazareth College. Since 2013, he has taught in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District, where he serves as Senior High School Orchestra Director.
Conductor Evan Meccarello is founder and director of the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra. Since 2010, he has led the group in world-premiere performances of Rochester composers and showcased talented musicians in a concert tour of the region. He was a member of the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra in high school, serving as Co-Concertmaster and Apprentice Conductor. Meccarello is currently Music Director of the Binghamton Community Orchestra and Artistic Director of Cordancia Chamber Orchestra. When many musicians could not play together during the pandemic, he developed and led Music Outside the Box, an all-online festival for high school musicians that featured live virtual ensemble rehearsal and performance. The program was a National Finalist for The American Prize in virtual performance. Meccarello’s conducting experience spans professional, collegiate, youth, and community ensembles. This season he appeared as guest conductor with the Penfield Symphony Orchestra, and created If, an experience that combines professional chamber music performance and immersive theatre. Uptown Tango is his ongoing project playing violin in an Argentine tango duo for dancers and listeners.