Middletown Eye

• Night of Giving Collects Toys

  From the ConnectionThe Connection, Inc. will be hosted its Night of Giving toy holiday party at Nikita’s Bar and Bistro, 484 Main Street in downtown Middletown, on Monday, December 14 from 5-9 p.m. sponsored by AFLAC.Individuals who purchased tickets received a discount coupon to Amato’s Toy and Hobby for 20 [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 4:37am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Pearl Street Re-opens

  After many months of rebuilding, the Pearl Street bridge, over the railroad tracks, in the block between Grand and Spring streets is reopened for traffic. The rebuilding project, which began in the summer, demolished the old bridge and created a new span. [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 4:26am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Events This Week (Part 1: 12/15-17)

  Number of comments: 0
  Tuesday December 15: Now in its 20th season, the Free at Last Players have done its best to shatter the illusions around mental illness and substance dependency.  The troupe, created with the help of CT Heritage Productions, uses theater, songs and poetry to get the message across.  The Buttonwood Tree presents [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 10:21am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• School District Reorganization Committee Announced

  Number of comments: 2
  Update: Monica Polanco provided nice coverage of the parents meeting at Macdonough last night, in the Hartford Courant. -----------Board of Education Chair Ted Raczka announced the names of the Ad Hoc Feasibility Committee, which will work on possible redistricting and other changes to the school system. A series of possible [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 10:15am EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Loffredo Calls for Movement on Riverfront Plan

  Number of comments: 2
  Councilmen Bibisi, Bauer, Santangelo, Daley, and Loffredo at Monday's EDCSouth Cove Riverfront DevelopmentThe newest member of the Economic Development Committee, Vincent Loffredo, called on the EDC to play a more active role in moving a long-stalled riverfront development plan forward. The EDC agreed to ask Mayor Seb Giuliano and Water [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 9:12pm EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Rescheduled Schools Meeting Tonight!

  Number of comments: 0
  Tonight: December, 14th.Where: Macdonough School CafeteriaTime: 6:00 pm.Childcare and Dinner will be providedWhat: Come discuss the future of our schools. The focus for this workshop will be North End schools, but the implications could touch all of downtown, as well as property values and quality of life. Everyone should attend [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 9:42am EST
  by Izzi Greenberg

• Connwood Foresters Christmas Trees

  Number of comments: 0
  This year we again went to Connwood Foresters in Rockfall for our Christmas tree. Connwood is a forestry consulting firm in Rockfall, at 39 Cherry Hill Road. Connwood has both standard sized beautiful Christmas trees for $20 to $40, and a pretty extensive selection of blue ribbon specials--trees tagged with [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 5:00am EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Police Arrest Vehicle Occupants After Foot Chase

  Number of comments: 0
  From the Middletown Police DepartmentOn 12/13/09 at approximately 10:00 am Middletown Officers were attempting to stop a 1993 Green Acura Vigor bearing CT REG 476 TVW for several motor vehicle violations and the suspect vehicle would not stop. The Middletown officers followed the vehicle for several blocks and it as [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 8:59pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• New Britain Herald Compares Middletown to New Britain

  Number of comments: 9
  I grew up in New Britain, and live now in Middletown, so this comparison of the two cities in the New Britain Herald is of obvious interest, but I find the analysis somewhat facile.Both cities have suffered the fate of many downtowns during the advent of the American automobile culture. [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 7:20am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Brownstone Presentation At Russell Library Tuesday

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 7:14am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• From 1929: Call Wedlock poor cure for erring girls

  Number of comments: 0
  This article is from exactly 80 years ago today, appearing in the Hartford Courant on December 13, 1929.The photo at right shows Long Lane in 1911.-------------------Probation Officers Attack Practice of Marrying Delinquents Under 16 to Offending MenDeclare Matches End in DisasterActions of Long Lane Farm Heads in Closing Doors on [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 5:00am EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Giving the Gift of Music (Local Heroes)

  Number of comments: 0
  As we get older and our extended families....well, get extended by the additions of nieces, nephews and cousins, at Holiday times, one wishes to be creative with gifts. After all, not everyone wants to give a Wii or a scarf or sweater or a check.Methinks it's a good year to [...]
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  Posted: December 12, 2009, 6:45am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• Roses and Wreaths

  Number of comments: 0
  The November rose blossoms are still bravely holding out at the Inn at Middletown. Amazingly, even with a wind chill of 5 degrees on Friday morning, only a few of their petals were lying in the snow. [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 3:00pm EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Middletown Co-op Preschool Donates to Soup Kitchen

  Number of comments: 0
  Students at the Middletown Cooperative Preschool presented a check to Ron Krom, below, on left, of the St. Vincent de Paul Place Soup Kitchen and the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The check represents a percentage of the proceeds from the recent hula hoop-a-thon (above, right) held on the South Green [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 1:49pm EST
  by Wendy Berlind

• It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like the Holidays

  Number of comments: 0
  Sunday December 13:CT Heritage Productions presents "A Child Christmas in Wales", a reading of Dylan Thomas's heartfelt memoir, at 3 and 7 p.m. in The Buttonwood Tree. CHP founder Peter Loffredo has performed this piece many times over the past few decades - it's not a very long work but [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 12:44pm EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• Eye on the Air, December 11

  Number of comments: 0
  Live 1-2 PM WESU, 88.1 FM or wesufm.org.Host: Ed McKeonGuest: Marc Longenecker, from Wesleyan's Film Studies program talking about the classic Frank Capra film It's A Wonderful Life, and the upcoming showing sponsored by the Middletown Eye and to benefit Gilead Community Services on Friday, December 18.FUNDRAISER: It's also the [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 8:45am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Buy Local: Wesleyan Potters

  Number of comments: 0
  [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 8:22am EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Opposition to Cuts to Commission on Children

  Number of comments: 0
  Commentaryby Christine O'GradyI am a home visitor through the Children’s Trust Fund’s Family School Connection at Bielefield School. Previous to this I was the Parent Leadership Coordinator for Middlesex County.I oppose the governor’s deficit mitigation plan as it pertains to the commission on children, the parent trust and children’s trust' [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 6:18am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Dreaming of a Green Christmas

  Number of comments: 0
  Thanks to the hard work of Kate Miller of the Conservation Commission, Middletown has a wonderful Green Buying Guide that is packed with great ideas for the holidays. An excerpt is below, and the full guide is available at this link:http://www.middletownplanning.com/documents/GreenBuyingGuide.pdfGIVING WITHOUT GLUTTONY:* Give necessities. Buy your family the new [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 1:45am EST
  by Karen Swartz

• Police Officer Arrested For Fraudulent Report

  Number of comments: 0
  From the Middletown Police DepartmentOn December 10, 2009 at approximately 10:00am Middletown Police Officer Angelo Passanisi surrendered himself to Capt William McKenna, at the Middletown Police Department, where he was arrested on the strength of an Arrest Warrant issued by GA 9. Officer Passanisi was charged with Insurance Fraud, Fabricating [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 5:58pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Holiday Charity in Your Neighborhood

  Number of comments: 1
  Toy drives for under privileged children are popular this time of year, and none the less important, however sometimes other needy citizens get less attention. As a reminder this holiday season The CT Department of Veterans Affairs has published its Christmas list of items veterans need. Many of these items [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 12:03pm EST
  by Madam Nirvana

• Plenty to Do (Part 2):12/10-12/12

  Number of comments: 0
  Thursday December 10:A reminder - the Chamber Choir from School of Music in Pitea (sometimes spelled with 2 "e's") Sweden, Erik Westberg, Music Director, performs a free concert at 7 p.m. in South Congregational Church, 9 Pleasant Street.There will be an program of Javanese & Balinese Gamelan and Dance at' [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 6:47am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• Public Protests Removal of Trees at Proposed Parking Plaza

  Number of comments: 4
  By Brian StewartAt least a dozen members of the community and representatives of various city entities attended the meeting of the Public Works Commission this evening. They learned that $400,000-450,000 had been budgeted originally in 2003 for the Melilli Plaza plan. Owing to various changes and improvements, the anticipated cost [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 6:32am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Public Served Cease and Desist for Renovated Lounge

  Number of comments: 1
  Middletown Zoning Enforcement Officer Bruce Driska has informed the owners of Public Bar and Grill at 337 Main Street that they must cease and desist using a recently expanded area of the restaurant.After complaints by a neighbor surfaced in the comments section of the Middletown Eye, city officials inspected the [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 6:22am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Board of Education December Meeting

  Number of comments: 8
  The Board of Ed held their regular meeting on Tuesday night. Amid other business, the discussion covered the new student enrichment program and the proposal for redistricting the elementary schools. The meeting was held at the council chambers at City Hall, in front of an audience of a few dozen [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 12:01am EST
  by Jen Alexander

• Symphony Orchestra Holiday Spectacular

  Number of comments: 0
  From a neighbor:The upcoming Hartford Symphony Orchestra Holiday Spectacular performance is on Friday, December 18th and Saturday, December 19th at Middletown High School Theatre. It is the same show that is performed at the Bushnell but available to us at a lower price right in Middletown. The ticket sales from [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 9:34pm EST
  by Karen Swartz

• Arts Webcast Thursday

  Number of comments: 0
  From the Middletown Commission on the ArtsWHAT: A live webcast of a roundtable discussion convened by NEA Senior Deputy Chairman Joan Shigekawa. The event brings together representatives of national arts service organizations and regional arts organizations with the NEA’s discipline directors to discuss the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 7:27pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Holiday Food and Clothing Drive

  Number of comments: 0
  From Wendy Black Nasta of Artists for World PeaceAs the holiday season approaches, I am using this opportunity to share with you what an amazing year this has been for the Artists for World Peace foundation and to ask for your generous support for our Annual Holiday Food and Clothing [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 6:15pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• James Fortuna, Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Passes

  Number of comments: 9
  James Fortuna, who served as a Commissioner of Planning and Zoning for many years, passed away this morning. Fortuna was secretary during much of his time on the commission.Tonight's P&Z meeting has been canceled. [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:44pm EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• NEAT School Redistricting Meeting Postponed

  Number of comments: 0
  NEAT's Schools Meeting is Postponed Until Monday, December 14th at 6:00 pm at Macdonough School. Middletown Public Schools hired JCJ Architecture to figure out how to solve school overcrowding at Moody and bring Macdonough School into racial balance with the district's average. Whatever happens, most elementary schools will be affected.NEAT [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 11:53am EST
  by Izzi Greenberg

• Weekly Eater: Forbidden City

  Number of comments: 9
  Normal false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 9:16am EST
  by Weekly Eater

• Save the Trees, Protect the River

  Number of comments: 6
  The list of City meetings on the Middletowneye does not include the meeting of the Public Works Commission on Wed. Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Works Department. On the agenda is the Melilli Parking Lot Plan, which calls for major regrading and the removal of trees. For [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 10:23pm EST
  by John Hall

• Wesleyan Men's Hoops Posts Big Win over Roger Williams

  Number of comments: 0
  Wesleyan won big tonight with an upset victory over Roger Williams. I only managed to show up at the half, when the Cardinals were down by one. According to one of the other spectators up in the cheap seats, they had been up by around 15 at one point in [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 9:34pm EST
  by Vijay Pinch

• Airlifted From Sweden

  Number of comments: 2
  An excerpt from this week’s CFA Blog by CFA Director Pamela Tatge: What’s it like to be airlifted from your university in Sweden to join the faculty at Wesleyan for a semester? Erik Westberg was delighted to tell us. He is the professor of choral conducting and choral singing at [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 6:22pm EST
  by Adam Kubota

• Senior Center Launches Updated Webpage

  Number of comments: 0
  The City of Middletown Senior Center has updated their web presence with current staff and Commission members, a new registration form that allows online completion for becoming a member of the Senior Center as well as for registering for classes. Also included in the upgrade is a revamped Senior Computer [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 4:10pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Vote for Middletown Senior Talent

  Number of comments: 0
  From Rob Gedarovich and Health Net Senior StarsMiddletown’s seniors need some help! Their performance videos are now viewable on the official competition site at www.youtube.com/healthnetseniorstars. Each video view, comment or star rating counts as a vote. Voting ends at 9:00am on 12/15; the top 10 vote getters at that time [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 4:04pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• One Book 2010

  Number of comments: 1
  In the crush of the Tree Lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving and the electrical glitches, you may have missed the Mayor's announcement of the "One Book One Middletown" selection for the new year.The committee decided upon "The Soloist", the 2008 book by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez. Described [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 9:53am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• Common Council Votes to Allow Water Shut-offs

  Number of comments: 3
  The details are yet to be worked out by the Middletown WPCA (Water Pollution Control Authority) but the Common Council voted Monday to allow the Water and Sewer Department to shut off water to customers who are severely delinquent in their accounts."There is absolutely no excuse," shouted Council member Phil [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:01pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Plenty to Do This Week (Part 1)

  Number of comments: 2
  Monday December 7:It's an evening of music on the Wesleyan campus with 2 fine concerts. At 6 p.m. in Memorial Chapel, Christopher Grundy (baritone) and Professor Neely Bruce (piano) present a recital of art songs by Busoni, Schubert, Brahms and Bruce. Joining them will be special guest Katherine Polit (soprano.) [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 8:45am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)

• Middletown High School Holiday Cookie Sale Saturday

  Number of comments: 0
  Middletown High School Project Graduation will host the annual Holiday Cookie Sale on Saturday, December 12, 2009 from 9:30 am - 12pm in the main entrance hallway at Middletown High School. Buy a medium, packed box of various homemade cookies for $15 or a large box for $20. Come early [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 4:44am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• ARTFARM offers INSTANT CIRCUS workshop for kids and Environmental Circus performance at December 12 Circus celebration

  Number of comments: 0
  Imagine a circus in which actors juggle bottled water, polar bears dance on melting ice floes, the props and set are recycled, and the core of clowns are called the Fossil Fools. That’s part of what you get in ARTFARM’s Circus for a Fragile Planet, an hour-long circus performance featuring [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 11:27pm EST
  by May Fly

• One Grand for a Grand Event!

  Number of comments: 2
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 11:55am EST
  by Lady Cyclist (Beth Emery)

• From 1899: Hartford Crazy Man in Middletown

  Number of comments: 2
  The following article is from exactly 110 years ago today, appearing on page 9 of the December 6, 1899 edition of The Hartford Courant.----------- [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 5:00am EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• The Art of Winter

  Number of comments: 0
  From the Luther Ridge Gallery [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 2:36am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Murphy To Meet with Health Care Advocates in Meriden

  Number of comments: 0
  From Jennifer HawkinsUnited Action Connecticut (UACT) in partnership with Health Care for America Now (HCAN) invite the public to:A House Party for Health Carewith an inter-active Q and A with Rep. Chris MurphyWhen: Sunday December 6th 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.Where: The Unitarian-Universalist Church in Meriden328 Paddock Ave., Meriden,CT 06450These house [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 8:21am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Eye on the Air Fundraiser Today

  Number of comments: 0
  If you support Eye on the Air, the Middletown Eye, and local volunteer reporting of Middletown issues on the web and on WESU, 88.1 FM, call in your pledge of support today from 1-2 PM.Call 860-685-7700 and pledge your support.We raised $270. Thanks to everyone who called. Fundraising continues next [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 12:32pm EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Buy Local: Christmas Trees

  Number of comments: 3
  One of the magical moments of the year for me is to walk with my family through a field of trees in the crisp early winter air to select our Christmas Tree. Although my children cannot help but enter into a vigorous debate about which tree is the most perfect [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 12:32pm EST
  by fishmuscle (Stephen H. Devoto)

• Early Childhood Plan Available on Web

  Number of comments: 0
  You can find the report on Middletown's Early Childhood Plan here. [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 11:44am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Mayor's Annual Holiday Celebration

  Number of comments: 0
  The Joey Milardo Trio played holiday standards and the cannoli were festooned with green and red nonpareils as Mayor Sebastian Giuliano hosted his annual holiday celebration in the foyer to Council chambers at City Hall Friday.Bureaucrats mingled with backhoe operators and residents as the Mayor and members of the Common [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:40am EST
  by Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon)

• Classical Music Live

  Number of comments: 0
  This Saturday (12/05), The Russell Library presents the Janaki Trio at 3 p.m. in the Hubbard Room. Serena McKinney (violin), Katie Kadarauch (viola) and Arnold Choi (cello) have performing together since 2005 with a repertoire that covers a wide swath of chamber music, from Beethoven to Brahms to Penderecki to [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 8:29am EST
  by CultureCreature (Richard B. Kamins)