KINGSTON- Mayor Steven T. Noble and the City of Kingston’s Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs are pleased to announce the second annual presentation of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals at Old Dutch Church, a free, family-friendly event, on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 3 p.m.
The program will feature award-winning storyteller David Gonzalez and classical piano virtuoso Frederick Chiu. Peter and the Wolf, a lyrical symphonic fairy tale for children composed by Sergei Prokofiev, will be narrated by David Gonzalez with Frederick Chiu accompanying on piano. A performance of composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals will follow, a musical suite of fourteen movements, each for various animals, including The Tortoise, The Swan, and Wild Horses.
“Back by popular demand, this wonderful family event will once again be free and open to the public,” said Mayor Noble. “I want to thank the Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs and our partners at Old Dutch Church for hosting this community program again.”
“We are so excited to present this afternoon of family fun, funky family-friendly storytelling by David Gonzalez that gives this humorous musical suite a new twist,” said Kitt Potter, City of Kingston’s Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “We are expecting a full house, so families are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy coloring a sketch of Peter and the Wolf created by Kingston Arts Commissioner Isabel Cotarelo.”
David Gonzalez is of Cuban/Puerto Rican heritage and is an unusual combination of musician, composer, storyteller, producer, poet, actor, showman and impresario. A recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Gonzalez holds a doctorate in Music Therapy from NYU and has performed for thousands of schools throughout the US during his long and joyous career. www.davidgonzalez.com
Frederick Chiu plays major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Le Châtelet in Paris, the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, and extensive tours in smaller and unusual venues. Frederic Chiu recorded the most extensive complete piano works of Prokofiev, and his personal relationship with the Prokofiev family makes him a world-recognized advocate of the composer. With his wife, Jeanine Esposito, he co-created the arts non-profit, Beechwood Arts & Innovation to explore collaboration across art genres and the integration of arts and technology to foster community. Frederic teaches at both Carnegie Mellon University and The Hartt School. www.fredericchiu.com
For more of the City of Kingston’s Arts & Cultural Affairs programming visit https://www.kingston-ny.gov/artandculturalaffairs.
