BELLEFONTE — Vienna Serenade, the newest local music ensemble in central Pennsylvania, will make its debut on Sunday, Jan. 14, as part of the Bellefonte Sunday Afternoon Chamber Music Series at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Organized by Susan Kroeker, a professional flutist with a decades-long history in the music scene, Vienna Serenade comprises 11 professional local musicians dedicated to performing the music of Old Vienna. The ensemble aims to share the elegance and beauty of 19th-century European Romantic Era compositions by artists such as Johann Strauss Jr., Waldteufel and more.
“I have always enjoyed the music of Old Vienna, as it exemplifies the elegance and beauty of that time in history,” Kroeker explained. “It has been my dream for many years to start an ensemble such as Vienna Serenade to share this attractive music with classical music lovers in our area, both for concerts and for elegant ballroom dance settings. This type of music lifts the spirits and makes one want to get up and dance!”
When organizing the new ensemble, Kroeker, known for her work with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and the Nittany Valley Symphony, sought a unique musical “niche” that would delight audiences.
Kroeker also served as the executive director for the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, founded and worked with the Community Chamber Artists and founded and currently directs the Masterworks Student Orchestra of Pennsylvania.
In addition to having organized the new Vienna Serenade, Kroeker has also organized other chamber ensembles including Allegheny Winds and Curtin Street Chamber Players.
“I greatly enjoy creating new musical opportunities for myself and other musicians in the area,” Kroeker said.
Each of the 11 musicians in Vienna Serenade, colleagues of Kroeker from local performing organizations, will bring their expertise to the ensemble, covering a range of instruments including flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, two violins, viola, cello, percussion and piano.
“The challenge was to come up with an orchestra that was large enough to cover most of the printed parts, yet not too large to become unaffordable. Having a pianist is essential to cover any missing parts, and it also makes it possible for us to be somewhat flexible with instrumentation so that we can send a smaller subgroup to performances as needed,” Kroeker noted.
Vienna Serenade plans to make its debut at the Bellefonte Sunday Afternoon Music Series on Jan. 14, featuring Old Vienna pieces by Johann Strauss, Waldteufel, Shostakovich and Dvorak. The concert aims to bring the music of Old Vienna to life, echoing Kroeker’s family background and personal experiences with the genre.
“My family background was growing up and listening to countless recordings of this type of music, watching the amazing yearly Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day concerts on TV featuring Viennese waltzes, personally performing music of Vienna with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra under the direction of founding conductor Douglas Meyer and observing the incredible success of Andre Rieu’s waltz orchestra in Europe,” Kroeker explained.
After their debut performance, Vienna Serenade plans on performing at the Huntingdon Chamber Music Series in June as well as looking at bookings for summer arts festivals and music series, ballroom dances, special events and performances at retirement homes.
Vienna Serenade’s debut performance will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 128 W. Howard St., Bellefonte. The event is free and open to the public.
