For 43 seasons the Schoharie Valley Concert Band has been ​performing quality Band concerts throughout Schoharie ​County. Beginning with our Fall Concert, then Holiday ​Concert, followed by our very popular Pops Concert, and ​concluding with our Spring Concert, there is always something special.

Come and Enjoy.

The Schoharie Valley Concert Band is celebrating its 43rd season of providing quality musical performances to the residents of the Schoharie-Cobleskill communities and its surroundings.

This band was founded by Frank Meredith in 1979, and has always been an eclectic mix of musicians from high school to octogenarians, people from all walks of life, coming together to create music. Long tenured Schoharie High School Band Director Don Menz was a strong supporter of the band and many of his students continue as members to this day.

In 1987, the baton was passed to Donald Webster, who continued the tradition of fine leadership and providing the students and adults of the community with the chance to realize their dreams of creating music as a part of everyday life. It was during this period of time that the Solo Festival was begun, providing scholarships for Middle & High School music students and a performance by the senior winner with the band. After Donald Webster's retirement as conductor, the band honored his efforts by naming the solo festival in his name.

In 2001, Martin Zavadil became the band's next conductor. He continued to challenge the 60 member ensemble as they looked to refine and expand their music performances.

In 2001, Martin Zavadil became the band's next conductor. He continued to challenge the 60 member ensemble as they looked to refine and expand their music performances.

In 2023, the group welcomed Samantha Baldwin, a longtime member of the band, as its newest conductor.

The band's current schedule includes four concert series, with each concert being performed at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School. Concert often ​feature one or more guest soloists, showcasing the wealth of musicianship in Schoharie County and surrounding local communities.

Past performances include a concert at Lincoln Center on the famous Damrosch Band Shell (home of the Goldman Bowl), the Northeast Music Festival, ​Burlington Vermont and NYSSMA. At its spring 2009 concert, the band played the premier performance of "Schoharie Triptych". A piece composed by ​Nicholas Ascioli commissioned by the band to commemorate its 30th anniversary.

Samantha Baldwin, conductor of the Schoharie Valley Concert Band (SVCB), began playing in the ​band's flute section in 2002. She has experience working with bands at all levels, from beginner ​through collegiate.

Samantha is proud to have grown up in Schoharie County, where she was blessed to receive an ​outstanding music education from talented, dedicated music teachers and unending love and support ​from her mom and dad. Her former band directors from Cobleskill- Richmondville Central School (C-​RCS) are members of the SVCB: Susan Ginsburg (elementary), John Boyer (middle school), and Brian ​Swanhall (high school).

Samantha began taking piano lessons at age 7 from the late Doris Blake and started learning flute in ​school at C-RCS at age 9 from Susan Ginsburg. At age 12, Samantha began studying flute privately with ​Jerry Law, a former band director at Schoharie Central School District. At the time she was given ​special permission from SVCB director Marty Zavadil to join the band. It was this experience of ​performing with and learning from musicians of all ages, backgrounds, and professions who had kept ​music an important part of their lives that first inspired Samantha at a very young age to make a career ​of sharing her passion for music with others.

As a student, Samantha won the SVCB-sponsored Donald Webster Solo Competition in all three age categories and performed as a featured flute ​soloist with the SVCB as a senior in 2008. Under the guidance of Brian Swanhall, Samantha was the first-ever instrumentalist from C-RCS to be ​selected for the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra.

Samantha graduated Summa Cum Laude from Syracuse University (SU) with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Flute Performance Honors ​Certificate. As an undergraduate student, Samantha won the position of Drum Major of the Syracuse University Marching Band. She remained at SU ​for another two years to complete two master's degrees while employed as a graduate teaching assistant for Syracuse University Bands: Master of ​Music in Music Education, and Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting.

Immediately after attending SU, Samantha taught 4th and 5th grade band at Central Valley Elementary in the Monroe-Woodbury CSD for three years. ​During this time, she also maintained a private lesson studio of 12 students, performed with the New York Wind Symphony on flute, and served as the ​conductor of the Hudson Valley Honors 6th Grade Band.

Samantha is in her eleventh year as a public school band director in New York State. She currently teaches at Shaker High School in the North ​Colonie CSD in Latham, NY, where she directs the 9-10 Symphonic Band and 11-12 Symphonic Band. She also serves as music director and pit ​orchestra conductor for Shaker's annual spring musical. Samantha is a NYSSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival Adjudicator. She resides in Colonie, NY and ​is an active member of her parish at St. Pius X in Loudonville, serving as a member of the Pastoral Council as well as a cantor at Sunday Masses.

Rehearsals 7:00-9:15 pm

All rehearsals and performances are located at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.

Band members will be notified ASAP via email in the event of a change or cancellation.

Ticket Information: Tickets are only available at the door

Adults: $7.00 Senior Citizens: $6.00 Students: Free

FALL CONCERT SERIES

Thurs Sep 5

Thurs Sep 12

Thurs Sep 19

Thurs Oct 3

Thurs Oct 10

Thurs Oct 17 (Dress Rehearsal)

Sun Oct 20 (Concert 3:00 pm)

POPS CONCERT SERIES

Thurs Jan 2

Thurs Jan 9

Thurs Jan 16

Thurs Jan 23

Thurs Jan 30

Thurs Feb 6 (Dress Rehearsal)

Fri Feb 7 (Concert 7:00 pm)

Sat Feb 8 (Snow Date 7:00 pm)

HOLIDAY CONCERT SERIES

Thurs Oct 24

Thurs Oct 31

Thurs Nov 7

Wed Nov 20

Thurs Dec 5

Fri Dec 13 (Dress Rehearsal)

Sat Dec 14 (Concert 7:00 pm)

Sun Dec 15 (Snow Date 3:00 pm)

SPRING CONCERT SERIES

Thurs Mar 6

Thurs Mar 13

Thurs Mar 20

Thurs Mar 27

Thurs Apr 3

Thurs Apr 10

Thurs Apr 24 (Dress Rehearsal)

Sun Apr 27 (Concert 3:00 pm)

Membership in the SVCB is open to high school students, college students, and adults of all ages from the ​Schoharie Valley region and surrounding communities. It does not matter how long it's been since you last ​played—we are a welcoming and supportive music community for all and would LOVE to have you join us.

To join the SVCB for the 2024-2025 season, please fill out the registration form (link highlighted in yellow ​below). ALL members, new and returning, regardless of how long you've been in the band, need to fill out this ​form prior to our first rehearsal. The registration form helps me determine our available personnel and ​instrumentation per concert, which are the largest factors in my repertoire choices for the group. This is also ​how I know how many music folders per instrument to have ready for each concert cycle and how many ​chairs/stands to set up at rehearsals. I will not assume anyone is or is not participating--please fill out the ​form. Thank you!!

FILL OUT THE SVCB REGISTRATION FORM HERE

I am asking everyone to consider inviting a new person to join our band in September. Lots of you play in other ​bands during the year or over the summer—please invite some of your fellow musicians from these ​ensembles to join us. I would not be writing this email to you today had I not been invited by a band member ​to join the SVCB many years ago. Your gentle invitation might be the boost of encouragement somebody ​needs to get back into playing after many years. I would also love to see more of our young people join our ​band from high schools throughout the area. Please feel free to forward this email to anybody you think might ​be interested!

I'm excited to see everybody at our first rehearsal on Thursday, September 5 at 7:00!! Don't forget to register!

Sincerely,

Samantha

svcbconductor@gmail.com

Schoharie Valley Concert Band Fall Concert Sunday, October 20th at 3PM

Conductor Samantha Baldwin has scheduled the Schoharie Valley Concert Band (SVCB) Fall Concert for Sunday, October 20th at 3PM in the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School Auditorium and selected music from several genres to appeal to the audience. Students will be admitted free and the performance is open to the general public.

Diane Baltazar will be the featured English horn soloist performing French composer Claude Debussy's evocative piece, "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair"

Diane graduated from The College of Saint Rose with a BS and MS in Music Education. She is a retired music teacher from Averill Park CSD where she taught general music, grade 6 chorus, grade 6-8 instrumental and band. She is the organist and Director of Music at The Church of Saint Adalbert in Schenectady, New York.

Diane Balthazar

As a composer and arranger, Diane has won competitions including first place in the Eastern Chapter of the American Guild of Organists competition for new works for oboe and organ and first prize at a local college with an original composition for choral, brass and organ.

Many of her compositions include concert band and have been performed in local bands including the Schoharie Valley Concert Band. They include, "Air on Brother James," "Prelude on Amazing Grace," "The Johnstown Centennial March," "Governor Bouck's Quick Step," "The Sharon Polka" "Cymbala"(band and handbells), "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth," "The December Rose," "A Reel Good Life!" and "Merry Maritime March."

Diane is an active oboist/English horn performer with area groups and ensembles. She is a member of the International Double Reed Society, American Federation of Musicians and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Diane and her husband, Ray, live in Rotterdam, NY.

"Amparito Roca" is a well-known Spanish military march named after composer James Texidor's 12-year-old female piano student Amparito Roca.

In Randall Standridge's "The Witching Hour" the clock tower church bells toll on each quarter hour ushering in a new eerie and macabre melody to cast four different musical spells on the audience.

"Prairie Dances" by David Solinger is a musical portrait of the cattle regions of Texas complete with rambunctious rhythms of cowboy towns and wide-open plains.

"Down by the Salley Gardens" is Michael Sweeney's arrangement of an Irish folk melody based on William B. Yates original Irish poem which remembers a lost love.

"Songs of Old Kentucky" by Brant Karrick includes music ranging from traditional Kentucky ballads to barn dance folk songs.

"Duke Ellington Medley for Band" arranged by Caitlin Custer includes melodies from "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me", "Sophisticated Lady" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)".

Michael Jackson's Halloween classic, "Thriller" is the best-selling song of all time. Song lyrics for "Thriller" start out "It's close to midnight, and something evil's lurking in the dark, under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart" etc.

The Schoharie Valley Concert Band is open to all area residents including high school and college students. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 7-9:15 PM. in the Cobleskill-Richmondville HS band room. Rehearsals for the December 10th 7PM Holiday Concert will begin on October 24th. For information on how to join the band, please contact Conductor Samantha Baldwin at svcbconductor@gmail.com.

Location

Cobleskill-Richmondville High School

1353 NY-7, Richmondville, NY 12149

Email

svcbconductor@gmail.com

Donations

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