White Plains, New York (2006-05-25) On Monday, July 3 the Westchester Philharmonic will play its annual Independence Day concert at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, New York as part of Music Fest, hosted by the Westchester County Parks and sponsored by Cappelli Enterprises. Music Fest will begin at 6 pm and the Westchester Philharmonic's program of American music and patriotic favorites, including Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever, will begin at 8 pm. This performance is FREE of charge.

Paul Lustig Dunkel, Music Director and Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic will conduct the orchestra, joined by 22-year-old guest conductor Matthew Oberstein. Joining them will be guest artist Jennifer Litwin, soprano.

This marks the third consecutive year the orchestra has performed in celebration of Independence Day at Kensico Dam Plaza, each attracting audiences of over 10,000. Kensico Dam Plaza is a 98 acre property located at the base of the Kensico Dam. The park provides a unique setting for a wide variety of activities including ethnic celebrations, concerts, antiques shows and arts and craft shows, as well as areas for picnicking, in-line skating, walking and nature study.

Cappelli Enterprises Inc., a leading real estate developer and general contractor in the Northeast, with headquarters in Valhalla, is sponsoring the Westchester Philharmonic's performance at Music Fest. Cappelli Enterprises and the Westchester Philharmonic share a deep commitment to arts education and access to the arts, said Louis R. Cappelli, President of Cappelli Enterprises. The free Independence Day performance at Kensico Dam, which makes live music available to people of all ages and economic levels, presented the perfect opportunity for our two organizations to partner.

About the Artists

Paul Lustig Dunkel Conductor and Music Director
Paul Lustig Dunkel, Music Director and Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic since its founding in 1983, has led the orchestra to national prominence for the excellence of its programming, education programs, outreach and performance. He and the orchestra received the 2000 Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the American Symphony Orchestra League.

An active conductor, composer/arranger, educator and flutist, he has worked with some of the pre-eminent composers and performers of 20th century music from Bernstein, Copland, Stravinsky and Stokowski to the leading figures of our day. Among the many works he and his organizations have commissioned, Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion by composer Melinda Wagner, was premiered by the Westchester Philharmonic and won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize.

He has been Music Director of the Denver Chamber Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Vermont Mozart Festival, and has appeared as guest conductor with the Baltimore, Buffalo, Richmond and American Symphonies, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. As a flutist, Mr. Dunkel has been noted for his brilliance, both as a performer and for his efforts to expand the flute repertory through premieres and commissions.


Jennifer Litwin, soprano
Having performed under the auspices of numerous opera companies including the Sarasota Opera, Liederkranz Opera, and Opera East, Jennifer Litwin's vast repertoire includes principal roles in such works as The Magic Flute, Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, Cosi fan tutte and Le Nozze di Figaro. She is highly regarded as a concert soloist, having appeared with the New Haven Symphony, Yale Philharmonia, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and the Westchester Philharmonic, including the Philharmonic's sold-out January performance of Mozart's Cabaret.

Matthew Oberstein, guest conductor
Conductor and pianist Matthew Oberstein made his international conducting debut in August 2005, leading the Slovak Sinfonietta Zilina in Vienna. His most recent conducting activities include the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna's International Summer Academy, where he was the only American participant, the London Conducting Workshop at the Royal College of Music, and the California Conducting Institute with the Bakersfield Symphony. Mr. Oberstein is a recipient of the 2005 State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence and the Purchase College President's Award for Achievement. He will complete his studies in Purchase College's graduate Performer's Certificate program this spring and has been invited to enter the postgraduate conducting program at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna beginning in the fall of 2006.


Information and Directions
Kensico Dam Plaza is located near the Bronx River Parkway in Valhalla, New York. For directions and additional information call the Westchester Philharmonic Box Office at (914) 682-3707 ext. 10 or on the web at www.westchesterphil.org.


About the Westchester Philharmonic
The Westchester Philharmonic orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra devoted to serving the people of Westchester County. Our mission is to be a leading cultural and artistic force that enhances the quality of life for all in our community. Now in its 24th season, the Westchester Philharmonic fulfills its mission in the concert hall, in the community, and in the classroom. Under the direction of esteemed conductor Paul Lustig Dunkel, the Philharmonic performs a Mainstage Concert Series of five performances, offered in pairs on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. It focuses on presenting the best music of the past and present, with a particular emphasis on providing young musicians with an important opportunity to perform with, or compose for, a professional symphony orchestra early in their careers. The orchestra is comprised of the finest musicians from the greater New York area, and many have played with the orchestra since its debut in 1983. The Westchester Philharmonic has worked with the world's finest soloists, including Itzhak Perlman, Midori, and the late Isaac Stern. During the course of 24 seasons, it has premiered many new orchestral works, including Melinda Wagner's Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.