The 200th Birthday Celebration of Felix Mendelssohn and Frederic Chopin

Classical pianist and actress Mary Greenberg presents “The 200^th Birthday Celebration of Felix Mendelssohn and Frederic Chopin,”  a “Play in Concert” at the Hunterdon County Library on Sunday, March 28 at 2:00pm.   

Mary Greenberg is on the piano faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. As a pianist she has performed in solo and ensemble recitals.  As an accompanist and actress, she has performed as part of the “Nassau at Noon” Faculty Concert Series. Her characters Fanny Mendelssohn and George Sand were presented as part of an ongoing series at the Princeton Public Library with “Writers’ Block”, a group of which she is a co-founder. 
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March Programs at Hunterdon Libraries

#1

HIKING THE TRAILS OF HUNTERDON COUNTY

Alice Oldford and Sue Dziamara, authors of the book “You Can Get There From Here,” present “Hiking the Trails of Hunterdon County” at the Hunterdon County Library on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm.

Part of the Skylands Region, Hunterdon County is bounded on the west by the Delaware River with a view of Pennsylvania.  Farm fields, forests, hills, wildlife and two reservoirs-as well as historic homes, farms and estates-describe the landscape of Hunterdon County.  The County is home to parks and trails offering outdoor opportunities to folks of all ages!

Alice and Sue will be discussing as well as signing their book.  This will include a slide show of some of the trails as well as talk about some of the special sites along the trials.

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The Hunterdon County Library is located at 314 Route 12 in Flemington, NJ.

 #2

TCHOBANOV PERFORMS THE MASTERS

 Alexander Tchobanov will be coming to the Hunterdon County Library on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:00 pm to give another of his great piano performances.  After bringing down the house two years ago, Tchobanov will perform the masters, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Liszt.

 A graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers, Tchobanov has also played at Carnegie Hall, won various piano competitions, and performed live on radio stations, including NPR and WGBH. A native of Bulgaria, Tchobanbov currently resides in Flushing, NY.

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The Hunterdon County Library is located at 314 Route 12 in Flemington, NJ.

Photo attached (tchobanov.jpg): Alexander Tchobanov

#3

FOUR HAND PIANO CONCERT

Join us at the North County Branch Library on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 for a unique concert featuring two pianists at one piano. Music from Mendelssohn, Holberg, Grieg, Lambert and Bernstein will be performed.

Husband and wife team Carolle-Ann Mochernuk and Paul Keuter are well-known for their 4-hand piano in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area.  In addition to performing in Europe, they most recently received a special citation for their playing in the Grieg International Competition in Oslo. 

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.

 #4

FOLK MUSIC ROCKS IN LATEST BOOK BY AWARD-WINNING LOCAL AUTHOR

 International award-winning author Stephanie P. Ledgin, of Alexandria Township, delivers an exciting new overview of folk music–its history, personalities and more–in her latest book, Discovering Folk Music.  Ledgin will offer a short presentation from her book and will be signing copies at the Hunterdon County Library on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 pm and again at the North County Branch Library on Saturday, March 13 at 2:00 pm. There are a number of local connections in Ledgin’s book, including a paragraph about and a photo of the Hunterdon Central Fiddle Club, taken at the main branch of the Hunterdon County Library, and a photo of the Greek youth dancers at the annual Opa! festival in Flemington.

From indigenous music to Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen singing “This Land Is Your Land” side-by-side at the pre-inaugural concert for our first African American president—folk music has been at the center of America’s history.  From the Colonial era to sixties protest music to avant-garde 21^st century performers, Ledgin presents the genre as surprisingly diverse, every bit epitomizing our national melting pot, embracing America’s multi-cultural traditions. Demonstrating the relevance of folk music in our everyday lives, the book provides special emphasis on the folk revival era, when Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta, and Peter, Paul and Mary sang out and influenced subsequent generations. Interviews with such legends as Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Jean Ritchie, and Nora Guthrie, Woody’s daughter, add color.

Endorsed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame president Terry Stewart, Discovering Folk Music is a groundbreaking look at 21st-century folk music in our rapidly changing digital world, family-friendly while ripe for rediscovery by the Woodstock generation.

 Commissioned a Kentucky Colonel in 2008, Ledgin was recognized in 2007 for her career achievements when she received the Charlie Lamb Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism, bestowed by the International Country Music Conference in cooperation with Belmont University in Nashville. She was Director of the New Jersey Folk Festival at Rutgers from 1994-2003 and is a founding member of Folk Alliance International. Ledgin is the author of two previous books, Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass and From Every Stage: Images of America’s Roots Music, the latter of which generated a three-year traveling photo exhibition that included stops at Lincoln Center and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, among others.

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 788-1434 to register to attend at HCL or (908) 730-6135 for NCB. You can also visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us. 

#5

VACATION MEDITATION WITH KALA DEVI

 Kala Devi will be presenting a workshop on Vacation Meditation at the North County Branch Library on Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 pm.   What is Vacation Meditation?  It is a concept of Kalá Devi based on the teachings of the great gurus to promote inner peace and happiness through a combination of music, storytelling and meditation.

 This Experiential Workshop is designed to facilitate the participant to independently access a peaceful state of mind at any time and any place, which in turn provides the person the tools to face life’s everyday challenges with a balanced and open mind and heart. Storytelling for the Soul and Spiritual Flute Music is a 2- presentation comprised of three main components: Meditation, Music and Storytelling

 Initially Kalá Devi will create a calm atmosphere through some deep breathing exercises and some gentle asana postures to allow the body to feel a conscious stillness, followed by flute meditation music and a short period of silence. Selected short stories will follow which exemplify the morals and ideals of spirituality and many have a humorous touch to them. The stories and accompanied music come from many different cultures and incorporate the teachings of many faiths.  The Experiential Workshop will end with a solo flute performance often improvisational in nature.

 Kala Devi is the alter ego of Andrea Brachfeld, flutist, composer, arranger, producer, educator and business owner.  Over these past 30 years she has recorded more than a dozen CD’s with many artists.  Her breakthrough performance as the flutist for the popular Latin band Charanga ‘76, catapulted her into Salsa history and fame as the first female flutist to play this music in the United States.

 Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.

January Programs at Hunterdon County Libraries

Eco Del Sur

#1 COUNTRY SINGER LINDA KAY

Start the new year with some traditional country music as we welcome country singer Linda Kay to the  Hunterdon County Library, Rt. 12, Flemington on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 pm.  Linda is also an accomplished guitarist and will accompany herself.

A lifelong Hunterdon County resident, Linda can be heard on WDVR’s Heartlands Hayride, a traditional country music show performed on Saturday nights. She has performed on the Hayride for the past three years and also performs at many local venues throughout the county.  Linda has been singing with groups most of her life and performed in Opryland USA.  Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required, call 908-788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us. 

 #2

THE FROSTKINGS

 The North County Branch Library is kicking off the winter concert series with The FrostKings on Thursday, January 21 at 7:00 pm.  The FrostKings, made up of Big Al Kartoff on guitar and vocals, Jim Davis on sax, Brad Vickers on bass, and Harry “Hurricane” Fiorelli on drums is an R&B, swing, and blues band that has played in northern and central NJ for more than 6 years.

Equally at home playing swinging shuffles, slow blues or full-tilt boogies, their repertoire ranges from the West Coast swing stylings of Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker, to the classic blues of Luther Johnson, B.B. King, Eddie “Clean Hand” Vinson and Muddy Waters, to the R&B of Wilson Pickett and Herbie Hancock.  If you’re not already a swing-blues fan, you will be after hearing the icy-cold tones of the FrostKings.

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations required, call 908-730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.

#3

ANTIQUES: WHAT’S IT WORTH?  WITH ALAN SNYDER

With over 26 years of experience in the antiques market, Snyder, a certified antiques appraiser, will both inform and entertain the audience as they each present 1-2 small items for his review.  Pieces can range from decorative to fine art works, and can be anything from silver, jewelry, glass, Americana, or attic treasures, just to name a few.  Weapons and postcards are not covered as they are too specialized.  Snyder will give an impartial evaluation of each item he appraises.  

Free, but space is limited, reservations required. Call 908-730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.  This program has a snow date of January 30. 

#4

HOME DOWNSIZING IN FOUR EASY STEPS

Michael Ivanovich presents “Home Downsizing in Four Easy Steps” at the Hunterdon County Library on Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 pm.

You’ve spent a lifetime accumulating assets…antiques, collectibles and general household items. Now you are ready to downsize your home. What do you do with the items that you are unable to take with you or no longer need? In this one-hour presentation Michael will show you how you can sell off your excess and un-needed personal property and household items for the greatest amount of cash, with the least amount of work, in the shortest amount of time in today’s rapidly changing market.

Michael lvankovich, with over 35 years in the antiques & collectibles business, is a frequent lecturer and has authored more than 20 books and eBooks as well as written articles and columns for most major national trade papers. He has appeared on various radio and television programs, is frequently consulted by antique columnists from throughout the country, and serves as a contributing advisor within his specialty areas to most major Antiques & Collectibles Price Guides including Schroeder’s, Warman’s, Antique Trader and Kovel’s. He is a Home Downsizing Consultant based in Doylestown PA. His latest book, Home Downsizing in Four Easy Steps, was just released on January 1, 2009

 Michael is a GPPA (Graduate Personal Property Appraiser), MPPA (Master Personal Property Appraiser), and an Appraisal Institute USPAP-certified Appraiser.  He is also a licensed Auctioneer in Pennsylvania, and has conducted Auctions in 9 other states. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association and was named Pennsylvania’s Auctioneer of the Year in 2004. He has also served as the President and Secretary/Treasurer of the Lehigh Valley Society of Auctioneers, and has served as President of the Bucks County Antiques Dealers Association as well.

Free but space is limited, reservations required. Please call 908-788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The Hunterdon County Library is located at 314 Route 12 in Flemington, NJ.

#5

PILATES/YOGA FUSION

Jennifer James, CYT and owner of Celestial Yoga in Bloomsbury, will be presenting a 45-minute class at the North County Branch Library in Clinton, on Thursday, January 28, at 6:30pm.

The class takes the ancient art of yoga to help relax the mind and spirit, and blends it with Pilates, the innovative system of mind-body exercises that builds strength without bulk, creating a sleek, toned body. James, a certified yoga, Pilates & WillPower & Grace Instructor, has been teaching multi-level classes for more than 5 years.  

Students must bring their own mat or towel and must be in good physical health for a somewhat vigorous exercise class.  This free class will be limited to 50 attendees, reservations are required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.

#6

ECO DEL SUR
Eco Del Sur will perform a free concert at the Hunterdon County Library on Saturday, January 30 at 2:00 pm.  This musical ensemble consists of Latin American artists from various musical backgrounds who are united to explore and perform ancient Andean music as well as contemporary music from different Latin American regions.

Eco Del Sur was founded in Spring 2000 and the first album was produced in Fall 2001. Each of the members has mastered several indigenous and contemporary instruments, including zamponas, quenas, quenachos, antaras, rondador, ocarinas, moxenos, flute, alto sax, soprano sax, charango, guitar, Venezuelan cuatro, bass, bombo, tambora, bongos, congas, wankara, maracas, guacharaca, claves, and chakchas.

Space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The Hunterdon County Library is located at 314 Route 12 in Flemington, NJ.

Change In Hours For Hunterdon County Library, Rt. 12

Change In Hours At Hunterdon County Library In 2010

The hours of operation of the Hunterdon County Library Headquarters on Route 12, Flemington, will be changing in January due to a staffing shortage.  The Library will be closing four hours earlier, at 5:00 pm, on Mondays and Fridays and opening one-half hour later, at 9:00 am, on Mondays through Fridays.
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Classical Guitarist Lawrence Del Casale

Classical guitarist Lawrence Del Casale will be at the Hunterdon County Library, Rt. 12, Flemington on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm.
Mr. Del Casale performs regularly as a soloist but his love for the ensemble format is clear on his CD, Zenobia, as he collaborates with distinguished artists including Gustavo Colina, Marco Granados, and his distinguished vocal partner, Ms. Sarah Long, soprano. Most notable is his association with the Brazilian Guitar virtuoso Maestro Carlos Barbosa-Lima with whom he has assisted in duo recital since 2003. In April 2008, Mr. Del Casale had the honor to perform with Barbosa-Lima at the maestroâs 50th Anniversary Concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.

The History of Gingerbread

What do Central American bugs, medieval faires, molasses and medicine all have in common?  Why, gingerbread of course!  Join us at the North County Branch Library in Clinton on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 2:00 pm as historian Kimberly Costa presents “The History of Gingerbread.”

One of our most beloved holiday traditions, gingerbread has a fascinating eclectic past, from its origins as a medieval medicine right up to the icing laden fantasies of the Victorians.  The lecture and PowerPoint presentation will cover the middle ages through the Victorian period and will include the impact of sugar and molasses production, medieval faires, and the Silk Road. 

Free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.

Classical Music With the Langmans

Sometimes the gift of music just seems to run in a family and such is the case with the Langmans.  Justine, a senior at North Hunterdon, has already performed at North County Branch Library with both a classical trio and as a soloist.  Her brother, Andrew, at age 13 is accomplished on both the piano and violin, and her younger brother, Calvin is already a gifted cellist at age 11. 

 The three Langmans will be performing at the North County Branch Library on Thursday, December 3 at 7:00 pm.  They will be doing a mix of duets and trios, covering the works of Beethoven, Schubert, Poulenc and Rachmaninov. Free, but space is limited, reservations required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.  The North County Branch Library is located at 65 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ.

Library Holiday Teddy Bear Drive

The Hunterdon County Library is asking for donations of new teddy bears during the month of December.  The library will then donate these bears to local fire departments, rescue squads, the hospital and other organizations that would distribute these teddy bears to children. 

If you would like to donate a bear, please bring a new teddy bear (or other favorite stuffed animal) to the  Hunterdon County Library, Rt. 12 Flemington, during the month of December and place it in our Holiday Snowy Forest display located in the main lobby. 

If your organization would like to receive some of these teddy bears to distribute, please contact the library’s PR Committee at (908)788-1423.

Classical Pianist Alexander Tchobanov

Title: Classical Pianist Alexander Tchobanov
Location: North County Branch Library, 65 Halstead St., Clinton, NJ
Link out: Click here
Description: Alexander Tchobanov will be returning to give another of his great piano performances. After bringing down the house two years ago, Tchobanov will perform Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Liszt.
A graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers, Tchobanov has also played at Carnegie Hall, won various piano competitions, and performed live on radio stations, including NPR and WGBH. A native of Bulgaria, Tchobanbov currently resides in Flushing, NY.

This program is free, but space is limited. Reservations are required. Please call (908) 730-6135 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.

Start Time: 7pm
Date: 2009-11-05

Hunterdon Radio Theatre To Perform For Teen Cafe

Title: Hunterdon Radio Theatre To Perform For Teen Cafe
Location: North County Branch Library, 65 Halstead St., Clinton, NJ
Link out: Click here
Description: The Hunterdon Radio Theatre will present Lit Between the Ears—The Plays of William E. Spear. The cast of HRT will present four original one-act plays, written and directed by theatre founder William E. Spear. The Hunterdon Radio Theatre has been working with the teen group at the library for several years, helping them to develop an appreciation for radio theatre by giving them opportunities to participate in the writing and performing of short radio scripts. Open to young people in grades 6-9 as well as their families. Registration for the program begins Wednesday, October 28 at 9am. Call 908-730-6834 or come into the library.
Start Time: 7pm
Date: 2009-11-04

Hunterdon County Library – October Events

MATRIMONIAL LAW

On Thursday, October 1, at 7:00 pm, the North County Branch Library will have three attorneys from the law firm of Gebhardt & Kiefer, P.C. do a presentation on matrimonial law.  This program will cover topics such as what is matrimonial law, the divorce process from beginning to end, how to get relief while going through the process, as well as others.  There will be a question and answer period after the presentation.

This program is free and open to the public, however reservations are required.  Please call 908-730-6135 or visit the Library’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.

More events after the break.

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North County Teen Idol Talent Show

Eighteen young people in grades six through nine competed in Teen Café’s Teen Idol Talent Show on Wednesday evening, August 5 at the North County library in Clinton. Nearly eighty parents and friends, as well as Teen Café participants filled the library’s meeting room as fifteen individual acts; including instrumental, vocal, song and dance, dramatic reading, and magic tricks took to the floor in what was described as a fun-filled night. The emcee for the evening was William Spear, founder and director of the Hunterdon Radio Theatre. The judges, all professional musicians, were Mark Titus, the director of the Hunterdon County Library system, Donna Kahlke, member of the library staff, and Kyle Burgess, member of the acoustic rock band, Station 12.
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Jersey Tomato from Cherry to Beefsteak

Join us at 7 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 5 in the meeting room of the Hunterdon County Library at 314 Route 12, Raritan Township, as we welcome food historian Judith Krall-Russo and her program, The Jersey Tomato – From Cherry to Beefsteak. Everyone loves the Jersey Tomato!  Discover where the tomato originated and why it became one of N.J.’s favorite crops. Find out when N.J. was known for its tomato packing industry and what happened to that industry. Did you know that tomatoes were considered poisonous at one time, and it was a N.J. resident who decided to prove everyone wrong? Learn about heirloom varieties, modern hybrids and the folklore attached to this fruit.  This program is free, but space is limited.  Reservations are required. Please call 908-788-1434 or visit the Library website’s Events Calendar at www.hclibrary.us.