Pictured: Steve Jackson, Clarinet; William Buonocore, Guitar;
Anna Sorrano, Soprano; Soomi Lee, Piano; Virginia Sindelar, Flute
Chamber Music
In her role as founder and artistic director of the Boston-based Scarborough Chamber Players, Ms. Sindelar brought vocal and instrumental chamber music to audiences of all ages, locally, regionally, and nationally.
Leading, Inspiring, Promoting
Virginia’s passion for the flute blossomed into a new venture in the 1980s: chamber music. But simply playing chamber music wasn’t enough. Her unstoppable musical energy grew into a full-fledged commitment — commissioning new works, recruiting talented musicians, bringing live chamber music to hundreds of high school students across Massachusetts, booking concerts at premier venues, and even producing three CDs featuring rarely heard and newly commissioned chamber pieces.
Commissions, Premieres, Tours
As Artistic Director for the Boston-based Scarborough Chamber Players, Ms. Sindelar commissioned more than a dozen chamber works by composers known regionally and nationally. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the New England Foundation for the Arts, each commissioned composition was premiered by the Scarborough Chamber Players over a span of roughly five years.
Scarborough’s work soon expanded to include tours of more than 50 public high schools, bringing multicultural performances designed to inspire young audiences of all backgrounds.
Concerts
Scarborough Chamber Players Performances included:
- Carnegie Hall
- First Night Boston
- Sanders Theatre, Harvard University – two concert series
- Rockport Chamber Music Festival
- Morning Pro Musica, WGBH
- President’s Church, Quincy – multi-cultural and classical concerts
Boston Globe Review - February 1986
The Scarborough Chamber Players presents the “Star Quality of soprano Roberta Gumble, …self possessed flutist Virginia Sindelar … in full command of one’s faculties, feelings and behavior.” Joined by “Imaginative associate Richard Schilling, guitar.”
Richard Dyer, Music Critic
Commissioned Chamber Works
- John Heiss: Three Songs from Joyce for Virginia Sindelar and the Scarborough Chamber Players; Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano – Spring 1986
- Ezra Laderman: Theater Opera Chamber Work – Fall 1986
- David Leisner: Extremes for Flute, Clarinet and Guitar -1988
- Allan Blank: Around the Clock for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, and Piano – March 1985
- Donald Martino: Music for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet and Piano
- David Erlanger: Three Songs for Soprano and Flute / Alto Flute – April 1983
- Hugo Norden: Two Women for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet – November 1983
- Vaclav Nelhybel: Three for Four for Soprano, Flute / Piccolo / Alto Flute, Clarinet / Bass Clarinet and Piano – November 1984
- Robert Starer: Songs of Youth and Age for Soprano, Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet and Piano – May 1984 and in NYC, December 1984
- Nickolas Tgettis: Three Songs of Greece for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, and Piano – June 1984
- Larry Siegel: Quartet for Winds (Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon) and Piano – November 1984
- Roger Borland: Instrumental Music
High School Touring
Throughout the 1990s, Scarborough teamed up with gospel singer Freda Battle and dancers to bring uplifting multicultural performances to over 25 high schools in Massachusetts.
Berit Strong, Guitar; Wyll Dance Theatre with teen rappers Greg Thompson and Sebastian Murphy from Holyoke High School; Singer /songwriter /music-minister Freda Battle; Soprano Anna Sorrano, Berti Strong guitar; Virginia Sindelar, Flute; Mark Miller, Clarinet
Early ventures into Chamber Music included performances with colleagues Betsy Moyer, Piano and Isabel Plaster, Bassoon. 1978
Scarborough Chamber Players: Anna Serrano (Soprano), Tatyana Dudochkin (piano), Jonathon Cohler (clarinet), William Buonocore (guitar), Virginia Sindelar (flute), Cynthia Price Glenn (Harp)
