BY SCOTT STIFFLER | September is turning out to be a very good month for fans of the oboe keen on consuming a double dose of that soprano-range woodwind instrument, whose roots can be traced back to the mid-17th century. That’s when — so goes the widely accepted but not completely uncontested origin tale — French musicians Jean Hotteterre and Michel Danican Philidor sought to create a softer-sounding 2.0 version of the shawm, the prevailing double-reed instrument of the day. Flash forward to 2016: Instantly recognizable but rarely a headliner, the oboe is being given ample opportunity to shine by a pair of Chelsea-based cultural stalwarts.
THE CHELSEA SYMPHONY | All roads lead to freedom of expression, expressed with idiosyncratic verve; when a local treasure, The Chelsea Symphony, draws upon a world’s worth of talent for their 2016/2017 “Flight Paths” series — devoted to the music of composers who have been inspired by, or have immigrated to, the United States of America. The September season-opener presents Chinese folk songs from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long, and NYC-based oboist Rachel Seiden, the featured soloist on Richard Strauss’ “Oboe Concerto in D major, TrV 292.” Reuben Blundell and Matthew Aubin conduct.
Fri., Sept. 9, 8:30pm & Sat., Sept. 10, 7:30pm at St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church (315 W. 22nd St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). For tickets ($25 premium reserved, $20 general admission suggested donation at the door), visit thechelseasymphony.eventbrite.com. Also visit chelseasymphony.org.
SUMMER MUSIC IN CHELSEA | The time of music wafting on warm winds hasn’t quite come to a close, as the Summer Music in Chelsea series will demonstrate during their mid-month concert. Oboist Carolyn Pollak is the soloist, and Tong Chen conducts the New Amsterdam Summer Orchestra — whose selections include Mozart’s “Symphony No. 4 in D Major K. 19,” Vivaldi’s “Oboe Concerto RV454,” and, on the bicentennial of its composition, Schubert’s “Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major.” Brooklyn-based artist Maria Tsaguriya will be on hand to create works of art during the concert.
Wed., Sept. 14, 7:30pm at St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea (346 W. 20th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). Suggested donation of $10 ($5 for students/seniors) benefits the Food Pantry at St. Peter’s.
