BPO Out of the Box

Buffalo Audubon Society at Beaver Meadow

Nestled within a 324-acre nature preserve, Buffalo’s Audubon Society at Beaver Meadow boasts over 8 miles of trails exploring various habitats, inviting you to explore the beauty of Western New York’s wilderness. The Visitor Center houses live animals, captivating displays, a nature gift shop, and a variety of programs for all ages. Whether you’re a hiking enthusiast, a birding aficionado, or someone seeking winter adventures, Beaver Meadow has something for everyone. From informative exhibits to engaging programs, Buffalo’s Audubon Society provides a host of opportunities for the general public to connect with and appreciate the splendor of the natural world.

This installment of our BPO Out of the Box series features BPO musicians Janz Castelo de Armas (viola), Amélie Fradette (cello), Anna Mattix (English horn), and Loren Silvertrust (violin) performing two contemporary works inspired by nature: Caroline Mallonee’s Flock from Jocular Sounds and Gary Nash’s Bluebird Animato.

Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse

Named for Robert H. Jackson, the only Western New Yorker to serve as Supreme Court Justice, the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse serves as a contemporary civic icon in Buffalo’s historic Niagara Square. The 10-story building creates a striking enhancement to the local skyline, gracing downtown with its prominence and unique profile.

This episode features a quartet of BPO musicians and friends: Morgan Chalmers, Daniel Kerdelewicz, Jacek Muzyk, and Madison Warren, performing Stephen Lines’ Concert Piece and Gustav Holst’s Jupiter Chorale.

Kleinhans Music Hall

While the BPO loves traveling our musicians all over Western New York there really is no place like home. Kleinhans Music Hall has an international reputation as one of the world’s finest concert halls. Orchestra musicians, conductors, and soloists have long admired Kleinhans, including Jascha Heifetz (“It’s a joy to play in this hall”); Artur Rubenstein (“Any artist gives his best in a hall such as this”); and Serge Koussevitzsky (“Kleinhans Music Hall is a dream of a lifetime – perfect and complete.”) Kleinhans is considered one of the most acoustically perfect halls in the world, and that perfection has not diminished through the years. Designed by the famous Finnish father-and-son team of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, along with architects F.J. and W.A Kidd, Kleinhans is known for its combination of graceful structural beauty and extraordinary acoustics. Eliel Saarinen’s aim was to create “an architectural atmosphere…so as to tune the performers and the public alike into a proper mood of performance and receptiveness, respectively.” In 1989, the hall was designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest designation of significance a site or structure can receive.

This episode features BPO musicians Amy Licata (violin) and Brett Shurtliffe (double bass) performing their own arrangement of the traditional Irish song “The Star of the Lake,” set to views of Kleinhans’ iconic architecture.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium, located on the Buffalo State campus, offers spectacular viewings of stars, constellations, nebulae, galaxies, planets, and much more. The newly opened, state-of-the-art planetarium continues the tradition of bringing astronomy education to the Buffalo State and Western New York communities since 1964. The state-of-the-art projection systems and 360-degree immersive environment provides seating for up to 48 visitors under its 35-foot diameter dome, and includes several projection, lighting, and audio systems. The planetarium also offers programs for school groups, scout groups, and the general public where audiences view the night sky and are transported across our solar system and out into the universe.

This episode of BPO Out of the Box features BPO musicians Amy Licata (violin), Andrea Cone (violin), Janz Castelo (viola), and Eva Herer (cello) performing Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita, Dvořák’s Song to the Moon from Rusalka, and Mozart’s Adagio-Allegro from String Quartet in C Major, K. 465.

North Park Theatre

The North Park Theatre opened on November 21, 1920. Original owner, theatre magnate Michael Shea, believed a movie theatre should capture the imaginations of filmgoers as soon as they enter the building and that the theatre should lift the “common man” out of his daily routine and place him in a setting so grandiose, so richly detailed, that he should think it the most natural thing in the world to watch his dreams come to life on the silver screen. Visitors praised the North Park’s elegant neoclassical foyer and auditorium, designed by Buffalo architect Henry Spann, as well as its murals by famed 1901 Pan-American Exposition painter Raphael Beck. Yet, as the years passed, subsequent owners chose to sacrifice the North Park’s original splendor for the sake of the bottom line. With each year, the auditorium grew darker as managers did their best to hide the crumbling plaster that had spoilt Henry Spann’s elegant design. Still, despite years of architectural neglect, the local community never stopped showing their love for the North Park Theatre. The theatre was closed for nearly a year; when it reopened in 2014, it has been restored to its 1920s glory.

This episode features a trio of BPO musicians: oboist Joshua Lauretig, violinist Clement Luu, and principal cellist Roman Mekinulov in a performance of J.S. Bach’s Adagio from his Concerto for Oboe and Violin, as well as Roman Mekinulov’s solo performance of Ennio Morricone’s Love Theme from the 1988 Italian drama film Cinema Paradiso.

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

BPO violinist Xiaofan Liu and principal harpist Madeline Olson perform Saint-Saëns’ charming and virtuosic Fantaisie for Violin & Harp in the magnificent Palm Dome at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, known for its beautiful and diverse collection of palms and tropical plants native to areas throughout the world.

City Hall

This special episode of BPO Out of the Box video premiered during Mayor Byron Brown’s State of the City address on March 5, 2021, highlighting the majesty of Buffalo’s City Hall. BPO cellists Amelie Fradette and David Schmude perform the first and third movements of Friedrich August Kummer’s Duet Opus 22. Special thanks to the Mayor’s office for inviting the BPO to participate.

Niagara Falls

The powerful grandeur of Niagara Falls is a counterpoint to the Trio Sonata for Two Oboes and Bassoon in D minor by George Frideric Handel. Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra members Joshua Lauretig (oboe), Anna Mattix (oboe), and Glenn Einschlag (bassoon) perform the quintessential chamber work from high above the rushing torrent, in stark contrast to the light, lyrical cadence of Handel’s Baroque masterpiece.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House

Buffalo is fortunate to have one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic designs right in the heart of our city. The Martin House is an artistic masterpiece, much like the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Join us for the melding of art and music when BPO musicians Sheryl Hadeka (horn), Geoffrey Hardcastle (trumpet), and Tim Smith (trombone) celebrate the restoration of this internationally-renowned, early 20th-century architecture with a performance of Poulenc’s Sonata for horn, trumpet, and trombone.

Buffalo’s Grain Elevators and Silos

Industrial and entrepreneurial acumen were hallmarks of Buffalo’s claim to fame throughout the 19^th century. One remaining vestige of industrial achievement are the downtown grain elevators on the Buffalo River, a fitting location for a performance of Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12 in F major, “American.” BPO musicians Nikki Chooi (violin), Antoine Lefebvre (violin), Caroline Gilbert (viola), and Roman Mekinulov (cello), undertake the vibrant and poetic piece symbolic of the times.

Graycliff

One of Western New York’s historic gems glistens in the warmth of the setting sun as musicians from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra perform in the majestic architecture of Graycliff, the Lake Erie summer home of Buffalonian Darwin D. Martin and his wife, Isabelle.  Amy Glidden (violin), Kate Holzemer (viola), Eva Herer (cello), and Henry Ward (oboe), perform Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F major as the summer solstice envelops the landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Duende at Silo City

Sat May 27, 1:00pm

Trio Amusen is comprised of Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra members and friends; they will perform a set of light classics and jazzy tunes, playing their way through American jazz and Rio de Janeiro’s dance clubs with stops in Sicily, France and more, featuring music by Astor Piazzolla, Mark O’Connor, Ennio Morricone, and Claude Bolling among others!

Trio Amusen & Friends
Loren Silvertrust, violin
Amelie Fradette, cello
Susan Schuman, piano
Dinesh Joseph, percussion
Jonathan Borden, bass

Seneca One Tower Auditorium

Thu Apr 13, 5:00pm

Our BPO Out of the Box – LIVE! series kicks off in the Seneca One Tower Auditorium at 1 Seneca Street in Downtown Buffalo. The lobby bar of The Sopranos fame will be open with drinks allowed in the auditorium. This concert features a fun, interactive program by our BPO Brass & Friends and promises to be a happy hour unlike any other!

BPO Brass & Friends
Phil Christner, trumpet
John Maguda, trumpet
Jay Matthews, French horn
John Hasselback, trombone
Filipe Pereira, trombone
Dinesh Joseph, percussion

Congratulations to Becky D., Janet D., and Malkiel A. on winning a free pair of tickets to a future BPO Classics performance!