Music on the Hill presents Chrysalis

EAST GREENWICH –  Chrysalis (Kristen Pellegrino, Elisa Kohanski, and Christina Breindel), will be joined by John Mark Pellegrino and Suzanne LeFevre in a free concert held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, June 16^th at St. Luke’s Church in East Greenwich. This free concert, in part thanks to the sponsorship of Dr. Robert Mattioli of Mattioli Orthodontics, will feature duos by Bach and Rossini, the Shostakovich Piano Trio and Schubert’s Trout Quintet. Reception will follow immediately after the performance. St. Luke’s is located at 99 Pierce St. in East Greenwich (401) 884-4116. 

 Now professional string players, three graduates of the Warwick Public Schools are combining their talents for an afternoon of chamber music. John and Kristen, graduates of Toll Gate High School, and Elisa, a graduate of Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, all played with the Toll Gate High School Orchestra under the direction of Carol Pellegrino. They served as principal players in RI All-State Orchestras and Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras. John and Kristen represented RI in All-Eastern Orchestras and Congress of Strings. Each were and continue to be inspired and encouraged by Carol Pellegrino, who retired from the WPS in 1999 as a string teacher.

There is a long Rhode Island musical tradition and family connection that links many of the performers in this recital.  A household name throughout musical circles, the Pellegrinos; John, wife Alice, and sister-in-law, Carol, are all retired RI music educators.  They have influenced students in Coventry and Warwick Public Schools, Henry Barnard Elementary School, and RI College. They have been principal players in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, soloist in many RI churches and have sung in the Peloquin Chorale in Providence. In addition, they have been officers in the Rhode Island String Teacher’s Association, Rhode Island Music Educators Associations, Eastern Division Representative for MENC’s Society for General Music, Warwick Music Festival, the Chamber Music Series at RIC, and the Chamber Music Series at St. Luke’s.

Kristen taught in Warwick for eight years directing the Toll Gate HS and All-City Elementary Orchestras. She has just completed the first year of coursework towards a PhD in music education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Although performing is still important to her, new accomplishments include publishing an article in the Michigan Music Educator, presenting at the Biennial Colloquium for Teachers of Instrumental Music Methods.  She was a founding member of the Chagall String Quartet, recipient of a rural residency grant from Chamber Music America and the NEA, which performed, taught and coached in western Pennsylvania.

Suzanne LeFevre’s career began as principal viola of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, then assistant principal viola with the Charlotte Symphony. She has played with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony and Ballet Orchestras, Chicago Sinfonietta and New Haven Symphony and the Assai Quartet. LeFevre is a performer in the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival and is an active chamber musician currently freelancing around Houston with groups including the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and the Houston Ballet and Opera Orchestras.

John is the assistant principal bassist in the Columbus Symphony and is on the faculty of Ohio Wesleyan University. He is currently a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival and Peninsula Music Festival. John has performed with many other groups including the Symphony Orchestras of Minnesota, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, North Carolina and New Jersey.  He is working to make this performance the first of an annual series of Rhode Island summer chamber music concerts.

Christina Breindel, whose daughters attended the Warwick Public schools, accompanied the Toll Gate Orchestra in many performances. She has lived in Spain, CT, and South Dakota among other places. She is now an adjunct faculty member of Rhode Island College, where she accompanies student recitals and juries, teaches piano, and is the accompanist for their choirs and opera workshop.  Christina was the accompanist for the RI All-State and Honors Choruses, the North Kingstown Community and Ponaganset High School Choruses. She continues to be a much sought-after accompanist and piano teacher in the state of RI.

In 1999 Christina, Kristen and Elisa joined to form the Chrysalis Piano Trio was formed. Since then, the trio has performed on numerous occasions throughout the state of RI.  Christina and Kristen have presented duo concerts as well in venues including the Warwick Music Festival, and the Chopin and Chaminade Clubs.