South Shore Conservatory’s Evenings Under the Stars Festival Orchestra Presents String Serenade

Nicholas Palmer conducts an all-string orchestra

South Shore Conservatory’s Evenings Under the Stars concert series kicks off on Saturday, July 12, 7 pm as the Evenings Under the Stars Festival Orchestra and Conductor Nicholas Palmer present String Serenade.  Generously sponsored by the Hingham Institution for Savings, this is the first of four EUS Saturday evening open air summer concerts in the Jane Carr Amphitheater at One Conservatory Drive, Hingham.

Maestro Palmer leads this all-string orchestra in a concert of beloved classics that include Mozart’s Eine Kleine nachtmusik, Bach’s Brandenburg concerto Number 3, alongside John Williams, “With Malice Towards None” from Lincoln and a smashing finale, Irish Legend. A piece at once lyrical and supremely flashy, Irish Legend is a tour de force piece for solo violin. SSC faculty member and violinist Amanda Smith Roberts is the soloist on this show-stopping piece, a concert finale guaranteed to leave the audience breathless.  SCC piano department chair Mark Goodman plays harpsichord on the Bach piece. 

A Hingham native, Nicholas Palmer is in his 18th season as conductor of the Evenings Under the Stars Orchestra.  He has been widely recognized for his compelling performances and emotional connection to audiences, and is regarded as one of today’s most talented conductors.  Palmer is Music Director of the renowned Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (OSO) in Kentucky, and the Lafayette Symphony in Indiana. His strong commitment to education and building new audiences, as well as his innovative programming, has garnered him high praise. 

A favorite guest conductor in Europe, Mexico and Latin America, Palmer recently conducted the Europa Philharmonie at the Hardinsburg Castle near Berlin, toured with the Orchestra di San Remo for two weeks in Italy and led concerts with the Czech Radio Orchestra at the Prague and Nelahozeves Castles celebrating the music of George Gershwin. The German press hailed Palmer’s conducting as “a musical high point with world class flair.” Palmer has also led the West Bohemia Symphony, Sophia Symphony, Milano Classico Orchestra, Lausanne Symphony, OSSLA in Mexico and the National Orchestra of Bolivia.

Violinist Amanda Smith Roberts has performed both nationally and internationally as a soloist. Having joined South Shore Conservatory’s faculty in fall 2013, she holds her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in performance and studied under renowned pedagogue Paul Kantor during her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Dr. Roberts has soloed with numerous professional orchestras throughout the southeastern United States, and has also competed in, and won, national competitions.  In 2008 she and her husband, pianist Jonathan Roberts, founded their duo, The Stardust Duo, named after Hoagy Carmichael’s jazz tune Stardust. Their duo specializes in performing and commissioning classical works influenced by popular musical styles, namely jazz and blues. Dr. Roberts shares her love for various musical styles through teaching and performing. She was awarded the Mississippi State Fiddling Championship twice.

Evenings Under the Stars is one of three series in the Conservatory’s diverse Summer Spotlight outdoor summer entertainment.  Summer Spotlight also includes fun Wacky Wednesdays family concerts, and Berklee Stars at SSC, a Friday night series featuring the talents of Berklee College of Music’s most promising solo musicians and bands. All concerts take place in the Jane Carr Amphitheater at One Conservatory Drive in Hingham.

Other Evenings Under the Stars concerts include Berklee Bob Marley Ensemble on July 19, Woman of the World on July 26, and H.M.S. Pinafore August 2.

Tickets purchased in advance are $35 for pavilion and $20 for lawn seating for Saturday evening concerts.  Lawn tickets purchased at the door are $25 for Saturday night concerts. Tickets for the Wednesday morning family concerts are $15 for adults and $5 for children.  Season subscriptions to the four Saturday evening concerts are available for $185 for pavilion and $160 for lawn seating and include the pre-concert receptions. New this year is cabaret tables for six.   There is no charge for children under three.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.sscmusic.org/evenings_under_the_stars.html. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.sscmusic.org or call 781-749-7565, ext. 22.

For more information about all South Shore Conservatory programs and events, visit www.sscmusic.org or follow us on Facebook.

About South Shore Conservatory

South Shore Conservatory, recently recognized as a national model for arts education by the National Guild for Community Arts Education, is celebrating nearly 45 years of enriching the lives of South Shore residents through music and the arts. SSC was founded as a not-for-profit community music school in 1970 and now has two beautiful campuses in Hingham and Duxbury.  Currently serving over 3000 students of all ages and abilities, SSC is the largest community school for the arts in Massachusetts. Students participate in more than 50 diverse programs in music, dance and drama. Through innovative partnerships with social service agencies, SSC’s Creative Arts Therapies department supports the mental, emotional, and physical health of some of our community’s more fragile members. SSC’s Hingham campus is located at One Conservatory Drive, Hingham, 781-749-7565.  SSC’s Duxbury campus is located at the Ellison Center for the Arts, 64 St. George Street, Duxbury, 781-934-2731. South Shore Conservatory is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education.  SSC programs are supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information call us, follow us on Facebook or visit www.sscmusic.org.

South Shore Conservatory admits students and families of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.