A celebration of collaboration and community will take center stage when Opus Ithaca presents “The Circle of Friendship,” a concert bringing together student ensembles, professional musicians, and guest artists from across the region.
The idea for the program has been years in the making.
“This idea was born over a decade ago,” said Elizabeth Shuhan, Opus Ithaca’s director of education and community engagement. “To bring community members and professional musicians together, and to feature music in a chamber orchestra setting and a jazz setting, and also feature singers in a choral setting — kind of like a prism concert, where you can hear a little bit of everything.”
This year’s concert will feature five ensembles: a small chamber orchestra, a chamber music quintet, a jazz quintet, the Odyssey Choir, and the Ithaca High School Chorale. The Odyssey Choir is directed by Melissa Rickledge, and the Ithaca High School Chorale by Kristen Zariski. The Opus Chamber Orchestra will be led by Guillaume Pirard, conductor of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra.
In all, dozens of musicians will take part.
“Our Odyssey Choir is involved in this concert — around 60 singers for sure,” Shuhan said. “We also have some of our students in the Ithaca High School Chorale, our faculty are involved, as well as musicians from the area and from Rochester. We’re really bringing musicians together from all over Tompkins County and beyond.”
Faculty member Colin Gordon will be featured as saxophone soloist in the jazz classic “Just Friends,” performed in the same arrangement made famous by Charlie Parker’s recording with strings.
“I’m extremely excited,” Gordon said. “It’s kind of one of the most iconic pieces for saxophone players, especially this exact version. We’re doing the same version that Charlie Parker recorded on ‘Charlie Parker with Strings,’ so I get to be the featured soloist along with some outstanding classical musicians. It’s a really cool kind of crossover.”
He noted that the original recording was groundbreaking for its time. “It was a crossover experiment — jazz musicians and classical musicians playing together. This is definitely going to be a highlight for me.”
Founded in 2011, Opus Ithaca is a nonprofit community music school housed at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in downtown Ithaca. The organization is approaching its 15th anniversary.
“We started with 30 students taking piano lessons,” Shuhan said. “We now serve over 550 students ranging from ages four to 88. We teach all instruments, including choir and jazz. Our mission is to create a positive musical environment of private instruction and group instruction, and to make music accessible for all — regardless of age, culture, or income.”
In recent years, the school has expanded its offerings, particularly for adult learners.
“We’re finding that a lot of adults are wanting to take private music instruction in a private setting, but also in a group setting,” Shuhan said. “When adults walk in the door and want to pick an instrument back up, I’m always amazed. It’s a time where they don’t have to think about other life worries or work obligations. And most important, they’re connecting — not only with the music, but with someone else.”
As the school reaches its 15-year milestone, it is beginning to see former students pursue professional careers.
“Some of our students have gone off to notable places like Eastman and Juilliard,” Shuhan said. “Some are winning jobs in major orchestras. Some are teaching. Others are in different professions but still making music. We love hearing from them and connecting again after all these years.”
“The Circle of Friendship” will be presented Sunday, March 1 at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 402 North Aurora Street in Ithaca. For more information, visit https://opusithaca.org.