Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra announces invitation to Europe
By Vicky Wedig
Editor
An area composer and pianist gave the City of Delavan the gift of song – literally.
Matthew Hollingsworth, of Janesville, who was a guess artist with the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra at the Phoenix Park Bandshell on Saturday, dedicated and relinquished his property rights to an original song he composed for the city about its clowns and circus history.
Hollingsworth has composed several major pieces, said Greg Roy, business manager for the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra. He composed the background music for “Wisconsin From the Air,” a video featuring aerial views of Wisconsin’s attractions; a Super Bowl comercial for T Mobile that featured Kim Kardashian; and a Subway restaurant commercial, Roy said.
He’s quite busy, and he’s quite good,” he said.
In honor of Delavan, Roy said, Hollingsworth composed some specific clown music, dedicated it to Delavan clowns and history of the circus and presented a certificate to Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis on Saturday.
The certificate says the song is dedicated to the City of Delavan and relinquishes property rights of the original material, giving the song to the city as a gift, Roy said.
“He took it upon himself to do that, and we’re very, very pleased that he did that,” he said.
Saturday’s concert by the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra from Beloit was dedicating to Jim Santy, and was coupled with Brick Street Market’s wine and cheese pairing in Phoenix Park.
The concert was the orchestra’s first appearance, but second attempt, in Delavan, Roy said.
Last year’s scheduled event was cancelled because of tornadoes that rolled through the area, he said.
“We’re very excited about being there,” Roy said before the show.
The Beloit-based group hoped to draw a Chicago crowd to Delavan and made a major announcement at the show:
“We’ve just been invited as an orchestra to play in Europe,” Roy said.
Roy said the invitation could have major implications on the orchestra and the area’s tourism and music opportunities.
He said chamber members could make connections in Europe that lead to drawing international music students to the area and becoming an international music center.
“What we would like to see and hope is this international aspect would open us up to have an international music festival,” Roy said.
The Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra is in its fourth season and has about 20 members from Madison, Fort Atkinson, Brodhead, Delavan, Milwaukee and other communities in southeast Wisconsin.
Alonzo Ortiz, a Delavan-Darien High School graduate who received a scholarship from the orchestra’s foundation, was a guest pianist with the group Saturday.
“He’s just a phenomenal young man on the piano,” Roy said.
He said the orchestra plays a smattering of classical music, patriotic-themed songs and movie soundtrack hits.
“We’re not a typical classical orchestra. We’re a pops. We want people to enjoy themselves. We all wear t-shirts. We don’t wear white shirts and ties,” he said.
The group plays only strings – no brass and no woodwinds.
“You’d be amazed at the sound,” he said. “We’re hoping to come back year after year and continue to play before the people of Delavan.”
