By Jenn Sheridan ·
June 19 | St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church | Incline Village, Nev.
June 21 | Shepherd of the Sierra Church | Carson City, Nev.
June 23 | St. Theresa Catholic Church | South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
June 24 | Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd | Reno, Nev.
All performances are at 7 p.m.
Admission: $25-$35 | All ages
Nine years and running, the TOCCATA Tahoe Symphony, Orchestra and Chorus continues to grow by expanding its repertoire and welcoming talented musicians. The 2014 Summer Music Fest kicks off with the Summer Solstice Serenade concert series on June 19 at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Incline Village.
The four-night series features soloists Josue Casillas and Carmella Cao on flute and David Brock on the organ. The show features some lesser-known baroque pieces and a modern classical concerto from composer Leo Sowerby for strings and organ.
“We are unique in that we had we have an organist,” said TOCCATA’s artistic director and conductor James Rawie.
He first met David Brock, a young musician at the time, while conducting in Puerto Rico. Today, Brock travels to Tahoe each summer to play with TOCCATA. Sowerby’s Classic Concerto for organ and strings may be one of the more difficult pieces Brock has played with TOCCATA, said Rawie.
Josue Casillas and Carmela Cao will delight audiences with two concertos for flute and piccolo from Vivaldi. Additionally, Bach’s Cantata “Es ist das heil” featuring flute and oboe will be on tap for the evening. The finale is a lesser-known piece that was chosen to highlight each of the musicians.
“Digging through the bowels of music, I found a piece that no one had heard of,” said Rawie of “Concerto in D Major” from Johann Friedrich Fasch.
For those who can’t attend the June 19 performance, there are three more opportunities. The Summer Solstice Serenade also will be performed on June 21 at Shepherd of the Sierra in Carson City, June 23 at St. Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe, and June 24 at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno. The final performance will be recorded live.
“I learned to be a travelling orchestra,” said Rawie.
In a region that is spread out like the Reno-Tahoe area, it can be difficult to encourage people to drive to see performances. Instead Rawie and TOCCATA bring the music to the audience by performing in four or more locations around the area. Today, the group regularly sees audiences as large as 300 people.
TOCCATA will celebrate its ninth anniversary this summer beginning on July 6 at the newly renovated Cornerstone Church in Incline Village. After 30 years of conducting symphonic orchestras in Puerto Rico, Rawie was considering retiring and spending his days mountain biking in his hometown of Big Bear. However, after several visits to the Tahoe area, he saw an opportunity in the lack of symphonic choral arrangements in the region. He began holding rehearsals in his home. Their first performance proved there was potential. TOCCATA’s first performance of Handel’s “Messiah” attracted singers from all over the country and has become and annual performance during the holidays.
“We’re fortunate to have a happy family,” says Rawie. TOCCATA is made up of musicians who are friends first. Rawie insists on building a group of musicians who get along and enjoy playing together.
The ninth anniversary performance features some of the group’s long-standing soloists, as well as a guest pianist. Pieces range from Mozart’s piano “Concerto No. 21” to popular pieces from the opera “La Traviata” and “Nabucco,” concluding with Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” which will be performed by TOCCATA’s biggest chorus to date. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Summer Music Fest finale from Sept. 10 to 16.
For more information on performances or to purchase tickets, visit toccatatahoe.com.
