Spring Concert & Curated Bites
featuring
Joshua Halpern, cello
Paolo Bartolani, piano
at
Borghese Vineyard
17150 Middle Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Sunday, May 4th, 2025, from 5:00pm-7:00pm
Music Program
J. S. Bach Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007 ( 1717-23)
Prélude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Menuett I
Menuett II
Gigue
Valentin Silvestrov 28 July 1750... J. S.-B. in memoriam
Mark O'Connor Appalachia Waltz (1993)
Intermission
Arvo Pärt Spiegel Im Spiegel
Franz Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 (1824)
Allegro moderato
Adagio
Allegretto
Description
Spring Concert & Curated Bites at Borghese Vineyard is a new event that combines classical music paired with a selection of small, carefully chosen food items with Borghese wines. This is an event designed to highlight the best flavor combinations between food, wine and music.
Curated Bites will be not just any appetizers, but carefully chosen and prepared small dishes that are designed to complement the selected music.
It’s an intimate indoor concert featuring the exceptional cellist Joshua Halpern and pianist Paolo Bartolani performing music by Franz Schubert, Arvo Pärt and Joan Sebastian Bach while the audience are seated at the table.
The purpose of this event is to provide a delightful multisensory experience, allowing attendees to explore music, wine and food pairings and enhance their appreciation.
J. S. Bach Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007 ( 1717-23)
Prélude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Menuett I
Menuett II
Gigue
Valentin Silvestrov 28 July 1750... J. S.-B. in memoriam
Mark O'Connor Appalachia Waltz (1993)
Intermission
Arvo Pärt Spiegel Im Spiegel
Franz Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 (1824)
Allegro moderato
Adagio
Allegretto
Description
Spring Concert & Curated Bites at Borghese Vineyard is a new event that combines classical music paired with a selection of small, carefully chosen food items with Borghese wines. This is an event designed to highlight the best flavor combinations between food, wine and music.
Curated Bites will be not just any appetizers, but carefully chosen and prepared small dishes that are designed to complement the selected music.
It’s an intimate indoor concert featuring the exceptional cellist Joshua Halpern and pianist Paolo Bartolani performing music by Franz Schubert, Arvo Pärt and Joan Sebastian Bach while the audience are seated at the table.
The purpose of this event is to provide a delightful multisensory experience, allowing attendees to explore music, wine and food pairings and enhance their appreciation.
About Joshua Halpern
“World-class.”
— David Finckel, Music@Menlo
"Joshua Halpern approached difficult passages masterfully, with a natural, easy
technique and a powerful, projecting tone that left nothing to be desired."
– Westdeutsche Zeitung
“I am always excited to experience him musically, both when we play together and as a
listener. In concerts together I have seen him play core repertoires from Beethoven and
Brahms, as well as lesser-known and contemporary repertoire from Catoire to Weinberg
and even world premieres. In addition to his excellent cello skills and his reliability, what is
remarkable is his openness, his thirst for knowledge and his way of communicating.”
— Viviane Hagner, soloist and Artistic Director, Krzyzowa-Musik
“Joshua Halpern is an exceptional performer, one of the finest and most convincing
musicians and cellists of his generation. He is full of ideas, has a marvelous and colorful
sound, and a breathtaking technique. He is a grand soloist and a very passionate
chamber musician - a true artist.”
— Konstantin Heidrich, Fauré Quartett (Berlin)
“Josh Halpern is an extraordinary musician whose performances combine profound
musical depth with a natural ability to connect with audiences through his engaging and
eloquent introductions. Working with him over the past four years in Kallos chamber
music series has been an absolute pleasure, both artistically and professionally.”
— Minyoung Kang, Kallos Chamber Music Series (New Haven, CT)
“Playing with Josh and featuring him on my chamber music series has been an absolute
joy. His extraordinary stage presence, impeccable playing, and genuine ability to
connect with the audience are unmatched. Josh is every presenter’s dream—if I could
have him for every concert, I absolutely would!”
— Ingrid Keller, Belvedere Series (Richmond, VA)
“Amazing and magnificent. I will always be grateful.”
— Eric Bertoluzzi, Englewood Arts (Denver, CO)
“World-class.”
— David Finckel, Music@Menlo
"Joshua Halpern approached difficult passages masterfully, with a natural, easy
technique and a powerful, projecting tone that left nothing to be desired."
– Westdeutsche Zeitung
“I am always excited to experience him musically, both when we play together and as a
listener. In concerts together I have seen him play core repertoires from Beethoven and
Brahms, as well as lesser-known and contemporary repertoire from Catoire to Weinberg
and even world premieres. In addition to his excellent cello skills and his reliability, what is
remarkable is his openness, his thirst for knowledge and his way of communicating.”
— Viviane Hagner, soloist and Artistic Director, Krzyzowa-Musik
“Joshua Halpern is an exceptional performer, one of the finest and most convincing
musicians and cellists of his generation. He is full of ideas, has a marvelous and colorful
sound, and a breathtaking technique. He is a grand soloist and a very passionate
chamber musician - a true artist.”
— Konstantin Heidrich, Fauré Quartett (Berlin)
“Josh Halpern is an extraordinary musician whose performances combine profound
musical depth with a natural ability to connect with audiences through his engaging and
eloquent introductions. Working with him over the past four years in Kallos chamber
music series has been an absolute pleasure, both artistically and professionally.”
— Minyoung Kang, Kallos Chamber Music Series (New Haven, CT)
“Playing with Josh and featuring him on my chamber music series has been an absolute
joy. His extraordinary stage presence, impeccable playing, and genuine ability to
connect with the audience are unmatched. Josh is every presenter’s dream—if I could
have him for every concert, I absolutely would!”
— Ingrid Keller, Belvedere Series (Richmond, VA)
“Amazing and magnificent. I will always be grateful.”
— Eric Bertoluzzi, Englewood Arts (Denver, CO)
This is a production of
Rites of Spring Music Festival
in collaboration with
Borghese Vineyard
Rites of Spring Music Festival concerts are made possible in part with public funds from Suffolk County under the auspices of the Office of Cultural Affairs, legislator Katherine Stark;
This work is also supported by Long Island Grants for the Arts through funds provided by the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Huntington Arts Council.
Joshua Halpern, cellist
Joshua Halpern has appeared on stages around the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal cellist. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with artists including Jonathan Biss, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Roberto Díaz, Viviane Hagner, Gary Hoffman, Kim Kashkashian, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Anthony McGill, Olli Mustonen, and Itzhak Perlman, and appeared at music festivals including the Ravinia Steans Institute, Music@Menlo, the Perlman Chamber Music Workshop, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, the Taos School of Music, La Jolla Summerfest, Musikiwest, and Krzyzowa-Music, with whom he has also toured extensively. An eager advocate of contemporary music, he has worked personally with composers such as Richard Danielpour, Scott Ordway, Kevin Puts, Dai Wei, Nick DiBerardino, and Kaija Saariaho. During the 2019 season he served as guest principal cello of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, including on tours to Germany, Taiwan, and China, and in 2020 served as cellist with the Banff Competition-winning Rolston Quartet. In 2023, he appeared numerous times as guest principal cello with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, as well as guest with the Varian Fry Quartet; the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic; and in Greece, Spain, and Germany with Curtis On Tour.
Josh completed his Artist Diploma at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he performed throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America with Curtis On Tour, and served as principal cello of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra during the 2016/17 season. At Curtis he studied with Carter Brey and Peter Wiley. As an undergraduate at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, he studied with Desmond Hoebig and won the school's concerto competition. From 2021 until 2023, he was a member of the Karajan Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker, in which he played as a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker and was mentored by Ludwig Quandt.
In 2018, Josh curated a solo tour across Colorado to bring classical music to unexpected places, including the state penitentiary, small-town saloons, bicycle shops, and more. Since then, he has continued bringing music to unique spaces, fostering connection and conversation with all types of people along the way. In 2021, he founded the Cultural Caravan, a Colorado-based organization operating at the intersection of small businesses, social-service nonprofits, municipal organizations, and local artists. The Cultural Caravan has since presented over 80 artists with backgrounds ranging from Zimbabwean Afropop to Venezuelan jazz to Classical Music in concerts in coordination with over 60 local businesses and community organizations, reinvesting over $500,000 into the community to date.
As a teacher, Josh has presented master classes throughout the United States and South America and has taught at Curtis Summerfest, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and on faculty at the Brooklyn School of Music. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Josh's Cello
Josh performs on a cello made by Domenico Busan, likely in the 1750s. This cello was the primary instrument of Josh's teacher while at Rice University, Desmond Hoebig—former principal cellist of the Cincinnati, Houston, and Cleveland Orchestras. This cello is provided to Josh on a generous long-term loan from a member of the Stretton Society.
Josh plays on a modern bow by a Swiss maker named Pierre-Yves Fuchs.
Paolo Bartolani,
pianist, Founder and Artistic Director of Rites of Spring Music Festival
Paolo Bartolani is a pianist, musicologist and music manager, working in both classical and contemporary music. He graduated in 1989 from the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory in Rome (Italy). He studied with Eduardo Hubert, and after graduation, with Charles Rosen, György Sándor and Andor Foldes. He also studied French piano repertoire with Germaine Mounier at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. In 1994, he received his Master in Musicology of the 20th century degree under the direction of Hugues Dufourt at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in collaboration with IRCAM / Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Paolo performs as a soloist and also as a member of chamber ensembles in Europe and United States.
He writes articles for the musicology journals Sonus-Materials for Contemporary Music and Music/Reality. In 2006, he created a Master Degree Program in Cultural Enterprise Administration at the University of Perugia, where he also teaches.
At the Venice Biennale, from 2008 to 2012, Paolo was the General Coordinator of ENPARTS - European Network of Performing Arts, which promotes the creation of new works in dance, music and theater by young artists. From 2009 to 2014 he was the Director of the Résonnance Italy, a nonprofit organization based in Switzerland, where he was responsible for its artistic and humanitarian program, "bringing music to places where it is not heard." The members of the organization – singers, instrumentalists, conductors – have performed more than two hundred concerts in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons in order to promote musical sensibilities and share the joy of music.
He has been the General Coordinator of Music Up Close Network at Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome. The Network includes seven European orchestras who promote new orchestral works and support a new generation of musicians to connect with young audiences.
He founded the Rites of Spring Music Fest in 2016 to promote classical and contemporary music on the North Fork of Long Island, and to combine music, history and the natural environment. The festival currently is a non-profit organization 501c3 and he is the Artistic Director and Responsible for developing the festival’s program.
pianist, Founder and Artistic Director of Rites of Spring Music Festival
Paolo Bartolani is a pianist, musicologist and music manager, working in both classical and contemporary music. He graduated in 1989 from the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory in Rome (Italy). He studied with Eduardo Hubert, and after graduation, with Charles Rosen, György Sándor and Andor Foldes. He also studied French piano repertoire with Germaine Mounier at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. In 1994, he received his Master in Musicology of the 20th century degree under the direction of Hugues Dufourt at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in collaboration with IRCAM / Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Paolo performs as a soloist and also as a member of chamber ensembles in Europe and United States.
He writes articles for the musicology journals Sonus-Materials for Contemporary Music and Music/Reality. In 2006, he created a Master Degree Program in Cultural Enterprise Administration at the University of Perugia, where he also teaches.
At the Venice Biennale, from 2008 to 2012, Paolo was the General Coordinator of ENPARTS - European Network of Performing Arts, which promotes the creation of new works in dance, music and theater by young artists. From 2009 to 2014 he was the Director of the Résonnance Italy, a nonprofit organization based in Switzerland, where he was responsible for its artistic and humanitarian program, "bringing music to places where it is not heard." The members of the organization – singers, instrumentalists, conductors – have performed more than two hundred concerts in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons in order to promote musical sensibilities and share the joy of music.
He has been the General Coordinator of Music Up Close Network at Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome. The Network includes seven European orchestras who promote new orchestral works and support a new generation of musicians to connect with young audiences.
He founded the Rites of Spring Music Fest in 2016 to promote classical and contemporary music on the North Fork of Long Island, and to combine music, history and the natural environment. The festival currently is a non-profit organization 501c3 and he is the Artistic Director and Responsible for developing the festival’s program.
