Experience an afternoon abroad, without leaving town, as the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra blends Eastern European music, art, and cuisine in a one-of-a-kind season-opening event.

Courtesy photo

By Mia Jaworski

The West Hartford Symphony Orchestra will kick off its 2025-26 season with a unique cabaret-style chamber music event at Town Hall on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m., combining classical music, art, food, and wine in an immersive cultural experience.

The performance, intended to feel like “a night away from West Hartford” without leaving town, will feature Romanian and Czech classical music played from the floor of the Town Hall auditorium. 

Patrons can purchase table seating and enjoy appetizers and pastries catered by Kelli’s Kitchen as musicians perform alongside the audience for an up-close, intimate setting.

The event marks the orchestra’s first chamber music concert, with pieces handpicked by its own members. Highlights include George Enescu’s “Romanian Rhapsody,” a romantic piano quintet, and several arrangements by Antonín Dvořák.

Tickets are available through the WHSO website, with various pricing options. General table seating is $50, student and senior tickets are $30, children’s tickets are $20, and full tables of eight are available for $350. Balcony seating is also offered without food service, starting at $25, with discounts for seniors, students, and free admission for children under 12.

The event is a fundraiser for WHSO and includes an art auction in collaboration with the Romanian Artist Connection and Romanul Corp, a local organization serving the Romanian community in Connecticut for over a decade. Twenty-five percent of auction proceeds will support the orchestra’s mission. Artwork can be previewed online in advance as well as throughout the event stationed in the Town Hall Auditorium. 

Courtesy photo

Founded in 2002, the WHSO is led by Richard Chiarappa, who also serves as the orchestra’s founding music director. Chiarappa taught at Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford for over four decades, directing numerous music programs including choral, jazz, string, and musical theater.

Violist Elizabeth Benton, the newly elected president of WHSO, helped organize the event. Following the challenges community orchestras faced during the pandemic, Benton and fellow members spent the summer rehearsing some of their favorite pieces in an effort to reenergize the group and broaden its reach.

In recent efforts to broaden appeal, WHSO’s quartet has also performed nontraditional selections including “Gangsta’s Paradise” and themes from “Game of Thrones.”

For more information on other events, auditions, and programs, visit the WHSO’s website.

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