Photo courtsey of The Record Journal
From the opening second, a delightful ambiance filled the Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC) as Mr. Philip Ventre guided the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra (WSO), accompanied by Mr. Rob Zappulla. Mr. Zappulla, who has been called “one of the greatest interpreters of the Great American Songbook,” came to campus on Saturday, October 22, to perform.
Mr. Ventre explained, “Wallingford Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1974 when a commission asked the people of Wallingford to make suggestions of how we could honor the bicentennial of America, and celebrate Wallingford. Terrence Netter and I went downtown and spoke to the committee and said, ‘let’s have a symphony orchestra of Wallingford.’ Some people didn’t like the idea at all, but the majority of the people on the board loved it, and that’s how the Symphony Orchestra was formed.”
Mr. Ventre has conducted the Symphony ever since its establishment, and, in over 40 years, he has only missed one of their shows.
Ms. Kalya Yannatos, Director of the Arts, said that the Orchestra performs frequently on campus to a warm reception. “They do about five concerts a year, always under the baton of Maestro Ventre. It is sort of his baby, if you will,” stated Ms. Yannatos.
The Symphony is composed of the best professional musicians in Connecticut, including those who play in different Connecticut orchestras and some musicians who teach at Choate. Choate’s piano instructor Ms. Susan Cheng and Wind Ensemble director Mr. Craig Hlavac are two such musicians. Mr. Ventre explained, “We either audition people or have a personnel manager who is also the manager of three other orchestras, so were sharing all of the same people.” He continued, “I know all of the members of the orchestra personally, and we even have one original member of the orchestra playing with us from 1974. Janice Zetzer is an original member of the violin section. In addition, there are some Choate graduates in the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra.”
Although the Symphony rehearses two or three times for most of its concerts, the members only rehearsed once for the show performed October 22. “These are professional musicians, so I tell our students to come to the rehearsal of the Wallingford Symphony and to see that when I tell the Symphony something, they write it down and play it perfectly because they’re the best musicians in Connecticut.”
During the show, it was clear that this group of musicians are not only talented but also have an exceptional understanding of each other because the music they played sounded like it could have been rehearsed for months. Mr. Ventre’s pride in WSO is incredibly well deserved, not only for their technicality but also for how easily they grabbed the audience’s attention. The featured singer, Mr. Zappulla, sang, as Mr. Ventre stated, “22 songs with his band, the best big band in Connecticut. He has the original arrangements of Frank Sinatra, Vic Demone, Tony Bennett, all the great singers, including Stevie Wonder. It’s a mixture of all the great songs from the last 116 years. It’s totally cool.”
One of the best parts about this performance was the unexpected lineup. The musicians did not play any classical music; they only played jazz-themed songs, most of which were very famous. Being able to sing along to the famous songs helped capture the attention of viewers of all ages. Mr. Ventre’s passion in directing his Symphony could be felt from anywhere in the auditorium. Furthermore, Mr. Zappulla sang along to the songs all the while moving around the stage and occasionally dancing.
Of his enthusiasm, Mr. Ventre added, “My favorite part is that Wallingford has a symphony orchestra, and you cannot say that about many other places in Connecticut anymore. It is a wonderful thing. We’re bringing the greatest classical and the greatest symphonic and Broadway music and performing them at the highest level. The audiences love it. The Wallingford Symphony Orchestra is our cultural jewel.”
