Organist and pianist Malcolm Halliday returns to Gilbertville for A Keyboard Celebration. With renowned New England clarinetist Chester Brezniak, he will perform music from a wide range of cultures on both the historic 1874 Johnson & Son organ and the 1924 Steinway piano recently acquired from Kaye Boothman and family.

Mr. Halliday's eclectic and exciting program celebrates composers of Latin origin:  Antonio de Cabezón (Spain), José Lidon (Portugal), Carlos Guastavino (Argentina), and Ricardo Castro (México) as well as music from the US, Austria and Germany.  The several works he will perform with Mr. Brezniak include a lovely Church Sonata by Mozart, arranged for clarinet and organ by Israel's notable instrumentalist Yona Ettlinger, and Blue Jeans: 'an assortment of Blues and Things' by contemporary US composer Tom McKinley. 

American history buffs and lovers of organ music will especially enjoy the rousing Battle of Trenton, a 1797 keyboard sonata by James Hewitt, dedicated to George Washington and arranged in the 20th century by the great E. Power Biggs. The first half of the program, dedicated to organ pieces, will also feature Felix Mendelssohn's Prelude and Fugue in c minor.

A serene Barcarolle by New Hampshire composer Amy Beach, performed on the piano, will complement the dynamism of many other works on this diverse and interesting program.

Part 1, Organ: Music of Antonio de Cabezón, José Lidón, W. A. Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn,"The Battle of Trenton" by James Hewitt, arr. by E. Power Biggs.

Part 2, Piano: Amy Beach, Carlos Guastavino, Ricardo Castro and "an assortment of Blues and Things" by Tom McKinley.

Malcolm Halliday performs regularly in the U.S., Europe and in Mexico, both as a solo keyboard artist and in collaboration with singers, instrumentalists and orchestras. In this concert with Chester Brezniak, principal clarinetist for the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Halliday will play the historic Johnson & Son organ and the vintage Steinway piano. Repertoire for organ and clarinet, piano and clarinet and for solo keyboard instruments will be announced in May, 2022.

After many years as a leading performer, church organist, choral conductor and concert presenter based in Massachusetts, Mr. Halliday moved to St. Miguel De Allende, Mexico to begin a new life and a reinvigorated musical career in this vigorous cultural center. A mentor and developer of talented musicians, he has founded a concert series there, and has been 'instrumental' in the relocation of another Johnson & Son organ to a local monastery. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, he is known for service as Dean of the Worcester Chapter and organ workshop presenter. As a pianist, he is known as an ideal collaborator and champion of contemporary music. Among his piano recordings are two albums of music by the American composer Leo Sowerby, released by Albany Records.

Chester Brezniak is equally adept at solo recitals, chamber music and in first-chair clarinet positions. He was principal clarinet for the Orquestra Sinfonica of Sao Paulo, Brazil and with the Hanover Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the Atlanta Symphony and the Czech Radio Symphony. . A founding member of the critically acclaimed Cambridge Chamber Players/Marlboro Summer Music Festival in Massachusetts, he has been heard on NPR in both live and recorded performances. A graduate of Bard college, he received a Masters of Music degree at the New England Conservatory. He teaches clarinet students at Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has faculty affiliations with other New England universities.

This concert is dedicated to the memory of Donald Boothman, co-founder of Friends of the Stone Church and founder of Friends of the Gilbertville Organ (FOGO), a concert series held at the Stone Church Cultural Center, formerly the Gilbertville Trinitarian Congregational Church, from 1990-2011.