Forest Hills is alive with the sound of music. The Forest Hills Chamber Players, a musical group based in Forest Hills, will give a concert on April 16 at the Queens Village Public Library.
The Forest Hills Chamber players are comprised of Tanya Dusevic Witek (flutist), Krystof Witek (violinist), and Katherine Cherbas (cellist). Krystof and Tanya Witek are married. They are all residents of Forest Hills. The members of the Forest Hills Chamber Players completed their musical education at the prestigious Juilliard School, and they have been playing together since they were students.
The goal of the Forest Hills Chamber Players is to provide access to music and musical education to the public by providing free concerts. The members of the group acknowledge that the more affluent usually have better access to music due to the often hefty price of concert tickets. In addition, certain Queens' residents may encounter difficulties traveling to New York City, where many concert halls are located. To date, the group has played at senior centers, churches, schools, and museums. Providing free access to music allows the group to “give back to the community,” Krystof Witek said.
Fall 2004 was the inaugural season for the group. The group has a vast repertoire, playing music from Bach to Zorn, and Broadway tunes to Led Zeppelin. In addition to playing the music, the members interact with the audience, and provide musical education. The Forest Hills Chamber Players want to relate to the audience. Their objective to provide information about the composers and the selected pieces in order to ameliorate the audience's understanding and appreciation of the music.
The program, entitled “Uno, Dos, Tres!” will include the works of Gaspar Cassado, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Astor Piazzolla as well as other selections.
The title of the program was selected for two reasons. There is a predominant Latin flavor due to the composers' ethnic backgrounds. Cassado was born in Spain, Villa-Lobos was born in Brazil, and Piazzolla was born in Argentina, respectively. All three composers were influenced by the folk music of their respective countries, yet they extrapolated from it and created their own unique, sound. In addition, the program also shows the possibility of all three instruments. While the group is featured, there are also solo, duo, and trio settings.
With respect to their careers, all three members of the Forest Hills Chamber Players are professional musicians. They have all received awards individually for their work, and have played at various venues throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Broadway theaters. Krystof Witek holds a violin chair in the Broadway production of “The Lion King.” Tanya Witek is also an educator, working as a teaching artist for the Lincoln Center Institute and the New York Philharmonic's School Partnership program. Both Tanya Witek and Cherbas work with children. Their professional performances have been broadcasted on the radio in Canada, Radio France, and New York City. In addition, their performances have been broadcasted on NBC, PBS, and the Bravo television networks.
The legendary composer Bach has influenced both Krystof and Tanya Witek.
All three members encourage each other, and they also credit their family, colleagues, and friends for providing moral support. The Forest Hills Chamber Players plan to have more concerts in Queens.
See The Forest Hills Chamber Players at the Queens Village Branch of the Queens Public Library, 94-11 217th St. in Queens Village at 3 p.m. For more information call 718-776-6800.
– Elisa Infosino
