Lettah to the Editah

Nice to see coverage of Concertante by the local Harrisburg paper this last week:
http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1174795814114680.xml&coll=1
and
http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/117467434170840.xml&coll=1

also a link to the Thursday promo piece on Mansurian and Ara:
http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/117448710253580.xml&coll=1

It was interesting to read Mr. Dunkel's take on the flyer announcing the dates of the group's season. So the board president, Elizabeth "Bebe" Mullaugh has written the following to the Patriot News:

re: David Dunkle's review of Concertante (3/25/2007)
While pleased to see David Dunkle's review of Concertante's March 24 concert in Sunday's Patriot-News, as president of Concertante's board of directors, I am concerned that the focus on Concertante's "intention to leave Whitaker" may have left readers with an inaccurate impression of Concertante's relationship with one of our region's best cultural institutions.
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is a tremendous asset in our community and Concertante is honored to have been a resident company there since 1999. Whitaker's Sunoco Theatre is an excellent space for amplified music, musical theater productions and opera, however its size and acoustics make presentation of chamber music by small ensembles less than perfect. Concertante and the terrific staff at the Sunoco Theater have worked hard to address these challenges, including experiments with placement of the acoustical shell and even placing the entire audience on the stage, all in the interest of creating a compelling concert-going experience.
After much consideration, the ensemble decided to present two of its 2006-2007 concerts at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at Harrisburg Area Community College. At the September concert, the audience and the musicians were extremely pleased with the intimate space and acoustics of the Rose Lehrman auditorium. Based on that experience, the board and ensemble decided to schedule all of Concertante's 2007-2008 dates there.
Saturday evening's "announcement" referred to by Mr. Dunkle was merely a program insert alerting audience members of our 2007-2008 dates and concert location. Whitaker Center has long been aware of the move and Concertante's relationship with Whitaker Center remains cordial and open. While we will miss our association with Whitaker as a resident company, we believe that being on campus at HACC will offer the added opportunity to attract students and faculty to the concerts, reflecting Concertante's mission to bring the beauty of live chamber music to increasingly diverse audiences. Concertante's move to Rose Lehrman is a logical one, not driven by economics or ill-will, simply a commitment to the music and our audience.
Elizabeth P. Mullaugh
McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC
100 Pine Street
P.O. Box 1166
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1166

There may be further coverage...and yes, for those playing at home, and for full disclosure, I'm a board member of Concertante. :)