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Kelly Hall-Tompkins takes the stage with Symphony N.H.

By Amy Demien - For The Telegraph | Jan 30, 2018

Standing bright in her blue floor-length gown against the black-clad orchestra, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, a violinist known for her performance in Broadway’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof, struck the first chords in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major. The full house of concert-goers directed their unwavering attention to the Keefe Center of Arts stage, some swaying their fingers like conductor wands and others nodding their head to every dip and rise in the symphony’s movement. At the performance’s end, each audience member rose in unison for a standing ovation.

Kelly has been heralded by the New York Times as “the most versatile violinist who makes music come alive” and has won numerous awards throughout her career as a soloist and chamber musician. Recently, she released her first full album titled The Fiddler: Expanding Tradition. Her performance with Symphony NH included solos within the Allegro ma non troppo, Larghetto, and Rondo of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. She also gave the audience a taste of her work on Broadway in her subsequent performance of the Fiddler’s Rhapsody and Scherzo.

“I had a wonderful weekend in the Nashua Community and performing with Symphony New Hampshire,” said Kelly. “The orchestra is great and I was thrilled to be part of the All Beethoven program. Roderick Cox and I met for a special concert project in July and it was wonderful to have a chance to work with him again.”

Roderick Cox is an associate conductor of the Minnesota orchestra. He recently conducted a performance honoring the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C. For the “All Beethoven” concert, he served guest conductor, leading Kelly and Symphony NH in their performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and the Fiddler Rhapsody.

“It still amazes me that we are featuring two of Beethoven’s masterpieces in one program,” said Roderick. “If there were two pieces that defined why Beethoven was the greatest of great composers it would be the ones we’ve selected for this program here in Nashua. I was excited to present this concert to the public with Symphony NH and soloist, Kelly Hall-Tompkins.”

The All Beethoven concert is part of the Symphony NH 2017-18 Concert Series. In preparation of their concert series, they also hold performances at other public venues such as parks and libraries, free of charge.

“We do a lot of free concerts in the community to get people excited about the concert,” commented Symphony NH Director of Audience Engagement Audrey Allesi. “I think tonight’s concert gave everyone who came out a really great program with a fun pairing of musical styles and talents.”

Their next concert in the series titled “Mozart and Bach” will be on March 16th at the Concord City Auditorium and March 17th at the Keefe Center for Arts. Tickets can be purchased online at symphonynh.org or at the box office.

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