The Holyoke Civic Symphony, conducted by David Kidwell, will premiere Mark Zuckerman's Civic Celebration at Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA, 3:00 PM May 1, 2016. The piece was written to commemorate the symphony's 50th anniversary.
Mark Zuckerman has written extensively for virtuoso soloists, chamber ensembles, a cappella choir (including an internationally-recognized collection of Yiddish choral arrangements), wind ensemble, and string orchestra. He attended Juilliard and continued at the University of Michigan, Bard College, and Princeton University studying under David Epstein, George B. Wilson, Elie Yarden, Milton Babbitt and J. K. Randall.
His choral music has achieved an international reputation with choruses and at festivals and been performed and recorded by the Gregg Smith Singers, Chicago a cappella, The Goldene Keyt Singers, the New Yiddish Chorale, and The Workman’s Circle Chorus.
Conductor and composer David Kidwell has been Music Director and Conductor of the Holyoke Civic Symphony since 1997, serving longer than any other conductor in the orchestra’s history. Under his leadership the orchestra has grown both in size and in ability. He has expanded the orchestra’s commitment to education with educational concerts, pre-concert talks, and open dress rehearsals. And he has reinforced the orchestra’s commitment to new music by commissioning nine new works and performing nearly fifty pieces by living American composers. Kidwell received the prestigious University of Mary Washington Young Alumnus Merit Award in 2004,
