Heitor Villa-Lobos Website

Fab four from Philly

Friday, February 8, 2008

The Ensemble Series at Croft Farm gives music fans the chance to sample "Those Fabulous Philadelphians." Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., four first-chair players in the orchestra perform a chamber concert at the Croft Farm Arts Center.

The program offers a diverse group of musicians playing a striking combination of instruments: Carol Jantsch (principal tuba), Hai-Ye Ni (principal cello), Hal Robinson (principal bass) and Jeffrey Khaner (principal flute).

The four musicians perform an interesting program. Ni and Robinson team up for a duet for cello and bass by Gioacchino Rossini. Ni also plays an Unaccompanied Suite for Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach and joins Khaner for Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Jet Whistle" for flute and cello.

Khaner also plays Nino Rota's "Speak Softly, Love" for solo flute. Robinson plays Francois Rabbath's "Ode de Espagne" and also partners Jantsch in Three Duets for Tuba and Bass by David Anderson. The program is subject to change.

The concert continues a tradition begun decades ago by Eugene Ormandy. The Philadelphia Orchestra's music director liked to feature principal players in concerts billed as "Those Fabulous Philadelphians."

Tickets for Sunday afternoon's concert are $15 ($10 for seniors and students). For tickets, call (856) 488-7868 before 5 p.m. today. A limited number of tickets are available at the door. The Croft Farm Arts Center is located at 100 Borton's Mill Road in Cherry Hill.

-- Robert Baxter