Anthony Newman
Described by Wynton Marsalis as "The High Priest of Bach", and by Time Magazine as "The High Priest of the Harpsichord," Newman continues his 50 year career as America's leading organist, harpsichordist and Bach specialist.
His prodigious recording output includes more than 170 CDs on such labels as CBS, SONY, Deutsche Grammaphon, and Vox Masterworks. In 1989, Stereo Review voted his original instrument recording of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto as "Record of the Year". His collaboration with Wynton Marsalis on Sony's "In Gabriel's Garden" was the best selling classical CD in 1997.
As keyboardist, he has performed more than sixty times at Lincoln Center in New York, and has collaborated with many of the greats of music: Kathleen Battle, Itzhak Perlman, Eugenia Zukerman, John Nelson, Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Levine, Lorin Mazel, Mstislav Rostropovich, Seji Osawa, and Leonard Bernstein.
As conductor, he has worked with the greats of chamber music orchestras: St. Paul Chamber, LA Chamber, Budapest Chamber, Scottish Chamber, and the 92nd St. Y Chamber Orchestras. Larger symphonic groups include: Seattle (over 40 appearances), Los Angeles, San Diego, Calgary, Denver, and New York Philharmonic Orchestras.
No less prodigious a composer, his works have been heard in Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw, New York, and London. His output includes 4 symphonies, 4 concerti, 3 large choral works, 2 operas: Nicole, and Massacre (in collaboration with Charles Flowers), 3 CDs of piano music, and a large assortment of chamber, organ and guitar works. Complete works are published by Ellis Press. Newman has received 30 consecutive composer's awards from ASCAP.
Newman is music director of "Bach Works," New York's all Bach association, and Bedford Chamber Concerts; is on the Visiting Committee for the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and on the board of the Musical Quarterly Magazine. As a person committed to outreach, he was a volunteer for Stamford Hospital, a member of Hospice International from 1995 to 2004. Newman is music director of St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Bedford NY.
Newman is a Yamaha Artist, and a proud alumnus of Young Concert Artists.
Mary Jane Newman - Conductor
The American conductor and organist, Mary Jane Newman (born: Flageler), became assistant conductor to her mentor, Nadia Boulanger’s Monteverdi Ensemble in Paris. At 17, while a student at the Conservatoire National in Paris, she was conductor / organist at the renowned English Church in Paris.
Mary Jane Newman made her New York debut in 1986 in Lincoln Center's "Great Performers" series at Alice Tully Hall. She has also been soloist with the Cracow Chamber Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, as well as conductor of Musica Antiqua and BachWorks, New York, Voci Angeli, and Parthenia XII.
In recent seasons, Mary Jane Newman also appeared as conductor and soloist with the Brandenburg Collegium, and the European Mozart Academy Orchestra in Prague and Cracow. She conducted the Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the prestigious Mozart Festival in Prague. She has also served as artistic adviser on important revivals of early Mozart operas in Venice and Cracow, and is music director of the "Candlelight Concert Series" in Mount Kisco, New York.
In 2000, Mary Jane Newman became the founding co-principal and recording producer of the Khaeon label. Its CD releases are internationally distributed and have gotten critical acclaim by the New York Times, Village Voice, The Washington Post, Billboard, Down Beat, Jazz Times, Latin Beat, and many other publications.
Mary Jane Newman married the renowned harpsichordist, organist, composer and fortepianist, Anthony Newman, on September 10, 1968. They have three sons.
Orchestra of Bedford Chamber Concerts
Bedford Chamber Concerts (BCC) has been presenting high quality, Chamber offerings to enthusiastic and appreciative audiences since its inaugural 2000/2001 Season. Its initial three concert schedule has grown to six annual concerts plus a lecture/performance series.
Launched through the efforts of the all-volunteer Music Committee of St. Matthews Episcopal Church
in Bedford, the BCC has drawn on the talents and resources of renowned musician, conductor, and
composer Anthony Newman who serves as Music Director for the BCC as well as for St. Matthews and Bach Works in New York City. Originally performing for music lovers from St. Matthew's community, the BCC audience has expanded throughout Westchester and into Connecticut.