ArtsBeat TV/Radio 4/01/22

NEW ArtsBeat TV/Radio 8AM tomorrow from WCPC15, 89.5fm/WSKB, Southwick Communnity Programming, and Agawam Media. Broadway’s and Barrington Stage’s Mark H. Dold headlines the cast of the acclaimed “The Inheritance” in Boston. And meet Lori Divine and Vitek Kruta from Gateway City Arts. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr7a0k7T2Ik

Review: Dear Evan Hansen

Now on Pioneer Valley Radio. The Tony Award-winning musical “Dear Evan Hansen” is playing Hartford’s Bushnell this week. ArtsBeat reporter Mark G. Auerbach reviews. segment begins at: 4:40 https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-wednesday-march-30-2022/

3/30/22 Athenaeum Spotlight

Today 3/30/21: New Athenaeum Spotlight with Guy MCLain from WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. MOSSO’s Marsha Harbison previews upcoming chamber music concerts in Westfield with Guy and Mark G. Auerbach. Stream after 8AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2DPZErBoV0

Pioneer Valley Radio ArtsBeat 3/29/22

New ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio. Marsha Mason in Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers” at Hartford Stage. Great Barrington Public Theatre’s new season, Avery Sharpe in Amherst, and arts news for WMass and No.CT. segment begins at 5:32. https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-tuesday-march-29-2022/

Media Release. MOSSO May Concert at the Westfield Athenaeum

DATELINE: March 29, 2022 Contacts: Becky Blarkburn, Westfield Athenaeum, 413-568--7833 ext 111 or bblackburn@westath.org Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations 413-427-7352 or mgauerbach@gmail.com WESTFIELD ATHENAEUM AND MOSSO: MUSICIANS OF THE SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PRESENT THIRD CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT OF THEIR CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES IN WESTFIELD ON MAY 19 Westfield, MA: The Westfield Athenaeum concludes its inaugural three concert chamber music series, on Thursday, May 19,, at 7PM, with Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, known as MOSSO, providing the music. Violinist Marsha Harbison, Violist Ronald Gorevic, cellist Boris Kagabn, flutist and Westfield resident Ellen Redman, and pianist Sofya Shainskaya will perform music from Haydn, Glazunov, Ibert, Delibes, Faure, Gershwin and more. Guy McLain, Director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer program notes at 6PM, which is free for ticket holders. Marsha Harbison, Assistant Concertmaster of The Springfield Symphony Orchestra and MOSSO, has curated this performance. “Our quintet will perform over a dozen short pieces of chamber music, from the classics, along with some contemporary works by Florence Price, an African American composer, and George Gershwin, whose music is part of the stage and screen repertoire. My musician colleagues for this performance include Westfield resident Ellen Redman, who performs both flute and ;piccolo.” Tickets for the concert, $20.00, must be purchased in advance at The Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at https://www.westath.org/. Audience members will be required to wear masks. . MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which is not a subsidiary of nor affiliated with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc. MOSSO was organized by the musicians this year to produce and perform concerts in Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts, and to date, they have presented their musicians in pop-up concerts throughout the area, performances with local ensembles including the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival; a full orchestral performance with Maestro Kevin Rhodes in Springfield’s Symphony Hall, MOSSO’s Virtuosos at Symphony Hall, and the recent series of chamber ensemble concerts in Longmeadow. For further information about MOSSO’s programs, visit MOSSO at SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com, or find MOSSO on Facebook at Facebook.com/mossomusicians

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/28/22

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/28/22. Marsha Mason in "Lost in Yonkers", Shakespeare & Company's "modern season", TheaterWorks Hartford's music from Elton John and arts news for WMass and No.CT. https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2022/03/arts-beat-shakespeare-co-announces-its-modern-season.html

ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio 3/22/22

New ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio. Hamilton returns to Hartford. Big Fish in Westfield, Altar Boyz in Northampton, MOSSO in Symphony Hall, Shakespeare & Company’s season and more. Segment begins at: 7:25 https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-tuesday-march-222022/

ArtsBeat TV/Radio FRI 3/25/22

Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim. ArtsBeat TV/Radio salutes you on FRI at 8AM with an all-Sondheim special featuring some of Broadway’s finest’s. Bari Biern, Scott Sedar, Evan Casey and Tracy Lynn Olivera. From WCPC15, 89.5fm/WSKB, Southwick Community Programming, and Agawam Media. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJQMmkS9BW4

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/21/22

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/21/22. "Hamilton" in Hartford, MOSSO's Virtuosos in Springfield, new seasons at Berkshire Opera, Great Barrington Public Theatre, and arts news for WMass and No.CT. https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2022/03/arts-beat-hamilton-in-hartford-tickets-on-sale-this-week.html

On The Mark TV/Radio 3/23/22

PROGRAM NOTE: NEW On the Mark from WCPC15 and 895fm/WSKB WED AM. Cold War expert Don Stanton explains Ukraine, and an encore interview with Steve Cone about robotic pets. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4KGCkpDEds

March 2022 Column: Succeeding in Small Business

My latest article for Succeeding in Small Business. I enjoyed the opportunity of profiling three colleagues and friends, Patrick Berry, Brenda Garton, and Barbara Newman. https://www.succeedinginsmallbusiness.com/presto-chango-reinventing-yourself-to-transition-to-a-new-career/

ArtsBeat TV/Radio 3/18/22

PROGRAM NOTE: New ArtsBeat TV/Radio FRI 8AM from WCPC15, 89,5fm/WSKB, Southwick Community Programming and Agawam Media. Nancy Dimock and Steve Perry preview MOSSO’s Virtuosos at Symphony Hall next week, and Donna Lynn Hilton shares Goodspeed’s new season. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEmdK7UxxE

ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio 3/15/22

New ArtaBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio. “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Blue Man Group at The Bushnell. A new Neil Diamond musical to premiere in Boston. Berkshire Opera’s summer season, and arts news for WMass and No.CT. Segment begins at: 7:54. https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-tuesday-march-15-2022/

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/14/22

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/14/22. "Blue Man Group" and "Dear Evan Hansen" in Hartford. "Little Girl Blue" brings Springfield native Off-Broadway, new Neal Diamond musical Boston bound and more. https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2022/03/arts-beat-broadway-blockbuster-blue-man-come-to-bushnell.html

Athenaeum Spotlight 3/16/22

PROGRAM NOTE: NEW “Athenaeum Spotlight with Guy McLain” (and Mark G. Auerbach) WED 8AM from WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. Guy shares videos about the Athenaeum’s treasure trove of art from Westfield artists. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGJo3TFmZVA

Pioneer Valley Radio Review: My Fair Lady

“My Fair Lady”, at The Bushnell through Sunday, is classic musical comedy. My rave review of this Lincoln Center production for Pioneer Valley Radio. segment begins around 4:10. https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-thursday-march-10-2022

MOSSO Announces Leadership Team

MOSSO, THE MUSICIANS OF THE SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, BUILDS MANAGEMENT TEAM Springfield, MA–The Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the not-for-profit organization known as MOSSO, have engaged a management team to assist them in producing live classical music concerts for Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts. MOSSO Chair Beth Welty (who will serve as MOSSO’s interim librarian) announced that Douglas C. Evans, former CEO at The Bushnell in Hartford, will serve as management consultant. Mark G. Auerbach, an area public relations consultant who was the Marketing Director of The Springfield Symphony Orchestra from 1982-1985, will serve as public relations and marketing consultant. Northampton and Hartford-based development specialist, Nancy Wheeler of WheelerConnect, will work with MOSSO as a Major Gifts consultant. And Gregory Jones, who has worked in concert production with groups from Simon & Garfunkel to Bob Dylan, will coordinate productions. Welty also added that Sarah Sutherland, a MOSSO horn player with a mathematics and statistics degree, will be MOSSO’s Finance Director, and Lauren Winter, MOSSO’s principal horn player, will coordinate box-office operations and personnel. Matthew Anderson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from the Hartt School and an MBA from the University of Hartford, will work in production. “With a successful concert last fall in Symphony Hall, chamber music performances in Westfield and Longmeadow, and the upcoming MOSSO’s Virtuosos concert in Symphony Hall on March 26, we are building our performance schedule,” says Welty, who added that MOSSO will return to Symphony Hall in June with a tribute to the late, great Broadway composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim . “We are planning to announce a robust season for the summer and 2022-23. With a management team in place, a strategic plan, and development efforts, we are now poised to bring live classical music to our audiences.” The MOSSO Management Team includes: Douglas C. Evans (Management Consultant), former CEO of The Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford, has been a leader in the international cultural sector for more than three decades. He is responsible for Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the Arts being one of the top touring presenters in the United States, and served as the CEO of The Stamford Center for the Arts. Evans is known for raising hundreds of millions of dollars for the cultural and education sector. A producer and presenter of over 100 Broadway musicals and plays, he produced the national tours of Tommy, Chess, Company, Raisin’ Cane starring Jasmine Guy, and the Off Broadway blockbuster production of Frankenstein starring Hunter Foster, Christiane Noll, Mandy Bruno, and Steve Blanchard. He holds the honor of being the longest-running guest on a radio show: over thirty years on “The Talk of Connecticut” every Friday, broadcast over numerous stations in the Northeast. Mark G. Auerbach (Marketing and Public Relations), principal of a public relations company since 1987, has had a wide range of clients, including the Capitol Steps, Dramatic Health’s “Game Changers in Medicine” podcast series, 88.5fm/WFCR (now New England Public Media), and many more. Mark was the Marketing Director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra from 1982-85, and held marketing positions with Wolf Trap, Houston Ticket Center, StageWest, and Greater Miami Opera. He studied arts administration at American University and the Yale School of Drama. Nancy Wheeler (Major Gifts Consultant), founder and President of WheelerConnect in Northampton and Hartford, spent sixteen years in leadership roles at MetroHartford Alliance before founding WheelerConnect. She was the founding Executive Director of Dance Connecticut, former Director of Development at Hartford Ballet, and prior to that, a Development Executive with Connecticut Public Broadcasting and WGBY Public Television. Gregory Jones (Production) has handled production coordination and event design throughout New England for over thirty years. Among the many artists that Gregory has worked alongside are notable stars like Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Phillip Glass, Brian Wilson, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, James Taylor, and hundreds more. Mr. Jones collaborated with Mark Auerbach on a series of productions for New England Public Radio: Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, Sonny Rollins, Jane Goodall, David Sedaris, Scott Simon and the Cape Verdean national treasure Cesária Évora. Sarah Sutherland (Finance Director) is a Boston-based freelance musician and the Third Horn of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. She is the hornist of the Back Bay Brass Quintet and currently teaches at Powers School of Music and Wellesley Public Schools, as well as privately. Sarah has performed with many ensembles in the Northeast, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Cape Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera and Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She attended Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester and New England Conservatory, where she received degrees in Music, Mathematics and Statistics. Lauren Winter (Personnel Manager and Box-Office Manager) plays principal horn for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Portland Symphony Orchestra. She is also Third Horn with the Boston Ballet Orchestra and former Principal Horn of Symphony New Hampshire. She has also performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Emmanuel Music. Prior to moving to New England, Lauren held positions with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Opera Orchestra. Beth Welty (Interim Librarian) received her bachelor’s and master's degrees in violin performance from Indiana University, where she was a student of Yuval Yaron. She has performed with numerous groups in the Boston area, including the Bach, Beethoven and Brahms Society, the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. She has performed abroad with various organizations, including a tour of Italy with the Chorus of Westerly and of South Africa with the London Chamber Players. She toured Spain as concertmaster of the Massachusetts Symphony. In 2014, she traveled to Switzerland to perform a solo recital, and in 2015 did a five-concert tour of England with the Aryaloka String Quartet. Beth is Assistant Principal Second Violin with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and has served as Concertmaster of the Nashua Chamber Orchestra since 2005. Matthew Anderson (Production), is a Longmeadow native who has always had a passion for classical music and the effects it can have on a community. He holds a Bachelor of Music in composition from The Hartt School, and an MBA from the University of Hartford. While at the Hartt School, he organized charitable fundraisers, held recording sessions, and produced a number of live concerts. Matthew's expertise includes logistics, process documentation and improvement, and relationship management. He is eager to bring his expertise to the MOSSO organization as they develop their future. MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which is not a subsidiary of nor affiliated with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc. MOSSO was organized by the musicians in 2021 to produce and perform concerts in Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts. To date, MOSSO has presented pop-up concerts throughout the area, performances with local ensembles, including the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, a full orchestral performance with Maestro Kevin Rhodes in Springfield’s Symphony Hall, and the recent series of chamber music concerts in Longmeadow and Westfield. For further information about MOSSO’s programs, including the March 26 performance of MOSSO’s Virtuosos, visit MOSSO at SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com, or find MOSSO on Facebook at Facebook.com/mossomusicians -30-

ArtsBeat TV/Radio 3/11/22

PROGRAM NOTE: NEW ArtsBeat TV/Radio FRI 8AM from WCPC15, 89.5fm/WSKB, Agawam Media and Southwick Community Programming. Pamela Tatge previews Jacob’s Pillow’s summer season, and George Matthew talks about Music For Life International. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZF6rkFXQ0o

On The Mark TV/Radio 3/09/22

PROGRAM NOTE: New On The Mark from WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. Trains and Planes. Zane Lumelsky from Trains in the Valley keeps us on track about The Valley Flyer and more. Alisa Sisac from Bradley International Airport shares updates from BDL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pUmpe1LXuI

ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio 3/08/22

New ArtsBeat from Pioneer Valley Radio. WAM Theatre announces its 2022 season, Danu at Jorgensen and UMass, DIVAS at Playhouse on Park, and arts news for WMass and No.CT. Segment begins at: 3:21 https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-tuesday-march-8-2022/

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/07/22

Westfield News/MassLive ArtsBeat 3/07/22. Berkshire Theatre Group and Chester Theatre announce 2022 season. "Divas: Double or Nothing" at Playhouse on Park. Arts news for WMass and No.CT. https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2022/03/arts-beat-austen-remix-will-kick-off-chester-theatres-season.html

Pioneer Valley Radio Review: Barrington Stage 10x10

NEW! Pioneer Valley Radio review of Barrington Stage’s 10x10 New Play Festival. “It’s worth the winter jaunt to Pittsfield!”. Segment begins at 3:30. https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-wednesday-march-2-2022/

ArtsBeat TV/Radio 3/04/22

PROGRAM NOTE: New ArtsBeat TV/Radio FRI 8AM from WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. Meet Harrison David Rivers, author of “This Bitter Earth”, the powerhouse play at TheaterWorks Hartford. And, Eddie Zitka shares K&E Theater’s 2022 season. Watch! Listen! Stream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSg78CxFoc0

ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio 3/01/22

New ArtsBeat on Pioneer Valley Radio. New seasons announced at Berkshire Theatre Group, Chester Theatre, and K&E. “My Fair Lady” at The Bushnell, “The Big Broadcast” with Brenda Garton Sjoberg at Mount Holyoke, and more. Segment begins at: 4:33 https://pioneervalleyradio.podbean.com/e/brad-shepard-today-tuesday-march-1-2022/