Celebrated Organist Christopher Houlihan ’09, to Perform at Trinity College

HARTFORD, CT, June 24, 2013 – Organist Christopher Houlihan, ’09, one of the country’s most acclaimed young organists and a Connecticut native, will return to his alma mater to perform at the Trinity College Chapel on July 2 at 8 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Even as a student at Trinity, where he studied under John Rose, Houlihan was earning plaudits for his playing. Now, after coast-to-coast performances that have earned praise from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and many organ publications, Houlihan is coming to Trinity for a rare appearance.

Houlihan will perform works by J.S. Bach, Maurice Durufle and Franz Liszt, as well as the world premiere of Steel Symphony by Patrick Greene, a fellow Trinity alumnus who graduated in 2007, and from the Boston Conservatory in 2010. The work by Greene was commissioned by Trinity College Chapel Music for this occasion.

The concert is a featured event of the American Guild of Organists Regional Convention in Hartford. A blog by Greene about Steel Symphony can be found at www.patrickgreenmusic.com.

Houlihan made his orchestral debut with the Hartford Symphony and recorded his first two CDs while still in college, prompting classmates to form the “Houli Fans,” a fan base that continues to grow on Facebook.

Houlihan, who is also a 2011 graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, won acclaim for his performances of all six of the Louis Vierne organ symphonies last summer. The Wall Street Journal referred to his “dazzling performances”; The New York Times praised his “flexibility and clarity”; and The Los Angeles Times dubbed him an “eloquent musician.”

Though just 25 years old, Houlihan’s international career is well under way, as he has performed in Europe and throughout North America. His most recent tour included stops in New York, California’s Bay area, Orlando, Cleveland, St. Louis and Atlanta, among other cities.

Houlihan’s recordings include music of Maurice Durufle and Jehan Alain and Organ Sympthony No. 2 by Louis Vierne, both on Towerhill Records. For more information about Houlihan, please visit: www.christopherhoulihan.com.

Houlihan is widely acknowledged as one of the brightest stars in the new generation of American organists. He studied with Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs at Juilliard and with Rose at Trinity. While abroad, he studied with Jean-Baptiste Robin at the conservatory in Versailles, France, where he earned the Prix de Perfectionnement from the French National Regional Conservatory. He also served as assistant musician at the American Cathedral in Paris, where he had the honor of performing for then-President and First Lady of the United States, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush.

The main organ in the Trinity College Chapel was built by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford and contains nearly 5,000 pipes. Many prominent organists have performed on the instrument.

Houlihan’s program on July 2 will include Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach; Steel Symphony by Greene; Prelude and Fugue in the name of ALAIN by Durufle; and Fantasy and Fugue on “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam” by Liszt.

Trinity College is located at 300 Summit Street, Hartford. For a map of the campus, please visit: http://www.trincoll.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/2012_College_map.pdf

Get A Free Taste Of Sonia Plumb Dance Company’s New Choreography — And Cupcakes from A Little Something Bakery Too

Sonia Plumb Dance Company will be giving a “taste” of their latest choreography — along with tastes of cupcakes too — at “A Taste of Sonia Plumb Dance Company” on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Masonic Temple on 11 South Main Street in West Hartford, CT. The event is free of charge and open to the general public.

“A Taste of Sonia Plumb Dance Company” is the second in a series of “tasting” events where audience members can get a sneak preview of the Company’s latest work in progress. Plumb’s new choreography will be seen in “Shadows & Light,” the Company’s latest dance production, set to be staged later this September at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. “Shadow and Light” explores light, darkness and the shadows in between.

Cupcakes are provided by A Little Something Bakery on Park Road in West Hartford, which will also give away a limited number of $5 off coupons at this free event.

For more information about Sonia Plumb Dance Company, visit their website at SoniaPlumbDance.org or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/SoniaPlumbDance.

And learn about A Little Something Bakery, visit their website at www.ALittleSomethingBakery.com. Better yet, visit them in person at 335 Park Road in West Hartford, CT.

About Sonia Plumb Dance Company
Sonia Plumb Dance Company is committed to providing innovative, issue-oriented, professional contemporary dance through performances, community outreach and educational programs. Under the artistic direction of Sonia Plumb, the Company has thrilled audiences throughout the Northeast with such performances as “The Wanderings of Odysseus” (based on Homer’s The Odyssey), “Frost and Field” (inspired by the poetry of Robert Frost), and “Water Wars” (her environmental exploration of water conservation). The Company’s educational programs are included on the “Hartford Performs” roster and conform to Common Core State Standards. Sonia Plumb Dance Company was also recent named in residency at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT.

Rensselaer’s International Scholars Program Awarded a CQIA Gold Innovation Prize

HARTFORD, CONN – The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Partnership’s 26th Annual Conference on Quality and Innovation was held on June 12. Rensselaer’s International Scholars Program (ISP) was awarded a Gold Innovation Prize for 2013. John Maleyeff, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Practice, represented Rensselaer at the Conference and accepted the award on behalf of all the faculty and support staff who comprise the ISP team.
ISP is designed to expose young professionals to a first-hand set of international experiences in conjunction with global organizations. Initiated in June 2008, the ISP is a study abroad program for graduate students. It combines coursework, visits to local business and industry sites, expert guest speakers, and a comprehensive project. Credits are incorporated into several Master’s degree programs at Rensselaer. Students are joined by Rensselaer professors who teach courses and coordinate all other events. A total of 18 outside-of-classroom events take place during the time abroad. The ISP project provides an opportunity for students to solve internationally relevant real-world problems, in conjunction with an organization located in one of the resident locations.
Since its inception, 91 students have participated in the ISP. As a result, they have enhanced educational opportunities (e.g., many have been offered impressive internships), better employment opportunities (e.g., many have been considered distinct from peers with similar degrees), and they benefit personally and professionally by experiencing life as a global citizen. An unintended benefit for faculty members is their own career development. They have a renewed awareness of global business, cultural, and industry issues, and have brought this knowledge to the working professional classroom in Hartford. Learn more about Rensselaer’s ISP at: www.ewp.rpi.edu/isp.
The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Partnership Inc., America’s first state-level quality award was founded in 1987 utilizing the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria in an effort to advance innovative programs that improve quality performance and marketplace competitiveness. Annually, the CQIA Partnership sponsors Five Steps to the Baldrige Award, with the CQIA Innovation Prize as Step One.

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Local Collaborative Receives National Award

HARTFORD – (June 12, 2013)— Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford, a network of public and private organizations that invests in the development of a self-sufficient workforce, received the National Fund for Workforce Solutions 2013 Chairman’s Award for Exemplary Collaborative Wednesday in Atlanta.

National Fund Chair, John Padilla congratulated the collaborative for its efforts to “bring together a broad coalition of workforce partners to identify and implement a clear strategy that is advancing the careers of lower-income workers and building workforce development capacity.” Keynote speaker Governor Dannel P. Malloy, who also serves as Chair of the National Governors Association Education and Workforce Committee, presented the award to representatives of the collaborative from his home state.

Susan B. Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, the lead and fiscal agent of the collaborative, said, “We are thrilled to be recognized. By convening a diverse group of stakeholders and aligning resources, we are able to go beyond the scale of any one organization.” Members of the collaborative include employers, educators, government, services providers and philanthropic organizations.
Linda J. Kelly, president of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, a founding organization of the collaborative and a lead funder added, “Families in our region face serious challenges. Together, we have helped 1,200 lower-income individuals take the next step towards a good job that pays well.”

Their success was made possible by meeting the needs of regional employers. Thomas Phillips, president and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners, the region’s workforce investment board and a founding member of the collaborative, noted, “Employers tell us that lower-income workers do not always have the required basic skills or work experience to succeed in sustainable careers.” He continued, “As a collaborative, we can more effectively meet these needs, and in turn, produce better outcomes.”

The Metro Hartford collaborative was one of three collaboratives in the United States to receive this year’s Chairman’s Award. Other recipients were CareerEDGE Funders Collaborative of Manatee and Sarasota (Florida) and Baltimore Workforce Funders (Maryland).

About Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford
Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford is a funders’ collaborative and network of public/private stakeholder organizations that invests in the development of an educated, self-sufficient workforce with skills regional employers need to successfully compete in today’s economy. Funders include, American Savings Foundation, Capital Workforce Partners, Community Chest of New Britain and Berlin, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Nutmeg Foundation, Prudential Foundation and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. For more information and a complete list of members, go to
workforce-solutions.org.

About the National Fund for Workforce Solutions
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is an initiative of national and local funders whose goal is career advancement of low-wage workers using a model of substantial employer engagement to increase the potential for successful outcomes. To learn more, visit nfwsolutions.org.

CREC Students Take Eleven Prizes at State Invention Convention

On Saturday, May 4, the CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School made an impressive showing at the Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC). The Convention, held at UConn’s Gampel Pavilion, featured over 600 participants from grades K-8 and is designed to “develop, encourage, and enhance critical thinking skills through invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”
Ten students from CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School participated in the Convention, earning 11 total awards. The school’s theme is environmental science and engineering, and its curriculum is focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), making students from the East Hartford magnet school highly competitive at STEM themed competitions such as the Invention Convention.
“We are so proud of our student inventors,” shared Cheryl Lucia, Principal of the CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School. “Their success demonstrates their dedication and commitment and shows that Two Rivers’ curriculum is truly preparing students for an exciting future.”
Students at the Invention Convention display prototypes of novel inventions that solve a problem in some way. Entries are judged overall by a panel of volunteers, and additional judging for special awards comes from representatives from sponsor organizations and donors.
This year, winners of the CIC’s Blue Ribbons from CREC Two Rivers were seventh graders Jack Mackay of Hebron, Ryan McKiernan of Vernon, Jen Lee of Manchester, and eighth grader Gina DePasquale, also of Manchester.
The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) gave special awards to 15 outstanding seventh and eighth graders. Ryan McKiernan, Jen Lee, and Gina DePasquale won this award in addition to their Blue Ribbon, and were joined by seventh grader Aditya Kuma of Windsor. All four students will be honored at CASE’s annual awards banquet later this month. “It was an honor to win a blue ribbon and the CASE award,” shared 7th grader Ryan McKiernan. “I was so proud of our school to have competed against over 600 students around the state, and to win so many awards.”
The Connecticut Environmental Forum sponsored an award for the best environmentally friendly inventions to three participants at the CIC, including two students CREC Two Rivers: Aditya Kuman and Jen Lee
The Connecticut Fire Marshal’s Association sponsored an award for four entrants. Gina DePasquale was one of the four selected. She will be honored along with other winners at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville at the Fire Marshal’s Association’s awards banquet. As an eighth grade student, Gina also received a special prize from UConn: a free course at the University.
Rounding out the awards was Christie Hazen, the school’s Enrichment Coordinator. She was one of only three teachers awarded the CIC’s 2013 Educators Hall of Fame award for “for extraordinary service to the CIC for over 10 years.”
Other competitors from CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School were seventh grade students Logan Satalino of East Hartford, Jacob Dillon of Manchester, Varun Tankala of South Windsor, Elisabeth Helmin of Manchester, and Skylar Lawrence, also of Manchester.
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The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 20 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning Magnet Schools is available at www.crec.org.

Dive into Summer the Right Way – Take the United Way Day of Action Pledge!

Become a volunteer and help children succeed academically.

June 21^st is not only the start of summer, but a day for people to come together as one and contribute to a better life for all. Nearly 165,000 individuals across the nation have already pledged to stand up and help create positive change on Friday, June 21^st as part of United Way Day of Action. Through activities such as reading with children or helping build the quality of early-childhood education programs, volunteers will help young children get ready for school this fall.

Locally, on Friday June 21^st United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut will be highlighting the importance of early-childhood education, family support and community involvement. By engaging with teachers and children in a classroom setting at early-childhood centers across the region or completing hands-on projects to improve the facilities’ ability to deliver quality programming, volunteers will improve the community in which they live and work. Volunteers will also work with United Way to collect and sort books donated for its Family Book Festival to be held on Saturday, June 22^nd at Hartford Public Library. Books will be given away to families who will also have the opportunity to enjoy several fun activities. Volunteers are needed at this event as well.

“Early-childhood is a critical time for children to develop the knowledge to succeed in school. Yet, in the summer children are not thinking about getting ready for school next fall, putting them at risk of losing at least two months of learning,” said Susan B. Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. “Day of Action will raise awareness around the issue, help children stay on track to graduation and contribute to a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone in our 40-town region.”

As the leader of Hartford’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, part of a national effort to involve the whole community in ensuring that children read on grade-level by the end of third grade, United Way seeks volunteers to read with children over the summer. Individual attention will help children retain skills they learned in the prior school year. Volunteers may sign up today for the next session at unitedwayinc.org/volunteerreaders, which will be held for five weeks from July 8 through August 9.

For more information about these volunteer opportunities and others, and to join the movement in an effort to ensure that all children enter school ready to learn, please contact Brian Mezzi at 860-493-1112 or bmezzi@unitedwayinc.org.

United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s mission is to improve lives and change local community conditions. United Way brings together people with the passion, expertise and resources to deliver long-lasting results through Community Investment. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.

For media inquiries, please contact Amy Helbling at 860-493-6827 or ahelbling@unitedwayinc.org.

NAMI Connecticut to hold its Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony

NAMI Connecticut, the state organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is pleased to announce that it will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 20th, 5:30 – 8 P.M., at The Studio at Billings Forge, 563 Broad Street, in Hartford.

As part of the evening’s festivities, there will be numerous awards and recognitions, including:

• Honoring Senator Toni Harp with the Sheila Amdur Public Policy Award for the Senator’s excellence in public policy and advocacy efforts on behalf of people living with mental illness

• Honoring Representative Brendan Sharkey, Speaker of the House, and Senator Donald Williams, President Pro Tempore, with the NAMI Connecticut Board of Directors Award

In addition the Reverend John Reichart, Pastor of the Vineyard Church of Guilford, Connecticut, will share his experience of the role of faith in mental illness.

New NAMI Connecticut Board Members will also be inducted at the meeting, including Kevin Sullivan, outgoing Vice President of NAMI National.

According to Kate Mattias, Executive Director of NAMI Connecticut, “the annual meeting is a time for reflecting on what the organization has accomplished over the last year and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities we will face in the next year.”

For more information, or if you wish to attend, PLEASE RSVP BY JUNE 17th TO: Shelly Blackman at 860-882-0236 or admin@namict.org.

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Background Information on NAMI Connecticut:

NAMI Connecticut is an organization that offers support, education, and advocacy to people living with mental illnesses, their family members, friends, professionals and the public at large.

In addition to our support groups and affiliated chapters, NAMI Connecticut offers a toll-free Helpline (800) 215-3021 for people living with mental illness, families and professionals; educational programs geared toward those with mental illness – including children – and their families; a bi-monthly member e-newsletter, and a robust public policy program with legislative advocacy training and support.

NAMI Connecticut is the state’s Outreach Partner for the National Institute of Mental Health. As an Outreach Partner, NAMI Connecticut has access to science-based educational materials as well as information on clinical trials in the area.

If you would like more information about NAMI Connecticut and our programs, please contact us by telephone (860) 882-0236/toll free (800) 215-3021 or e-mail us admin@namict.org. Join us and become part of NAMI Connecticut’s strength and leadership as Connecticut’s Voice on Mental Illness. www.namict.org

Rock Cats, Community Foundation Partner for Youth

New Britain, Conn., June 12, 2013 – The 2013 Eastern League All-Star Festivities July 9-10 at New Britain Stadium represent a once-in-a-decade opportunity for area youth and families to enjoy the exploits of the future stars of Major League Baseball. And thanks to the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, thousands of local youth and families will get to enjoy part of this spectacle up close and personal.

Recognizing a rare chance to treat area youth to an experience they’ll always remember, the Community Foundation has signed on with the New Britain Rock Cats as Presenting Community Partner of the 2013 Eastern League All-Star Home Run Derby at New Britain Stadium, 6 p.m., July 9, the prelude to the 2013 All-
Star Game on July 10 presented by Dunkin’ Donuts. Thanks to the Foundation’s generosity, the Rock Cats will distribute 3,000 tickets to the All-Star Home Run Derby free of charge to area youth and families in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington – the four towns the Foundation serves – through youth organizations and parks and recreation departments in each community.

“This partnership will provide a wonderful opportunity for area youth to experience something magical – the thrill of being on a major major-league quality playing field along with some of the best up-and-coming players in the game before thousands of fans,” said Jim Williamson, President of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. “If I was 10 years old, I’d want to be on that field myself.”

Youth attending the Home Run Derby through the partnership will not only get to attend the event for free, but will also have the chance to be on the field mingling with all-stars, shagging fly balls under adult supervision, obtaining autographs and taking in an entire evening of all-star sights and sounds.

“This special event showcases athletes who have ascended to the top of their profession through years of hard work and determination. They are excellent role models for young people,” said Rock Cats President Bill Dowling. “This wonderful partnership with the Community Foundation gives kids from these four towns the chance to have the time of their lives.”

Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Families in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington interested in obtaining tickets should contact the youth organization your child is involved with, or your local community’s parks and recreation department.

Youth group organizers in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville or Southington interested in learning how your organization can participate should contact Mike Abramson, New Britain Rock Cats, 860-224-8383, ext. 12, or by e-mail at mabramson@rockcats.com.

For complete details about all the 2013 Eastern League All-Star Festivities at New Britain Stadium, please visit www.rockcats.com or call 860-224-8383.

The 2013 Eastern League All-Star Home Run Derby presented by the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is part of the Foundation’s First Years First initiative which is dedicated to helping children in the Foundation’s four service communities lead healthy, productive lives. Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain connects donors who care with causes that matter in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. It does this by raising resources and developing partnerships that make a measurable improvement in the quality of life in each of these communities. For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org.

New College Scholarship Recipients Honored at 9th Annual Hartford Foundation Reception

The newest recipients in a college scholarship program that awards more than $1 million annually to Greater Hartford students were honored June 5 at the ninth annual Scholarship Recipient Reception held by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The reception, held at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, honored 143 students who received new scholarships to attend two-year and four-year schools across the nation. Many of the scholarships are renewable, enabling students to receive significant support (many are for $3,000 per year) for each of their years in college as long as they maintain a good academic record. Students may use the grants for tuition, fees, room and board, and textbooks.

Overall, approximately 625 students will receive new and renewed scholarships in 2013 through the Hartford Foundation program, which last year totaled $1.3 million, according to Jennyfer Holmes, who directs the scholarship program at the Hartford Foundation.

The scholarships are awarded through 98 endowed funds created at the Hartford Foundation by individuals, families and organizations. Many of these donors create scholarship funds at the Foundation for personal reasons and the Foundation matches recipients with the donor’s criteria. Many donors also support the General Scholarship Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation.

The Hartford Foundation’s scholarship program also includes $140,000 in block grants to local two-year colleges for scholarships to needy students and $100,000 in block grants to local four-year schools for awards to students transferring from community colleges.

Studies continue to link a college education with improved job stability. According to The New York Times, college graduates have gotten through the recession and lackluster recovery with remarkable resilience. The unemployment rate for college graduates in April was 3.9 percent, compared to 7.5 percent for everyone else.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region, dedicated to improving the quality of life for area residents. The Hartford Foundation receives gifts from thousands of generous individuals and families and in 2012 awarded grants of more than $27 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Hartford Foundation and the scholarship program, visit www.hfpg.org/scholarships or call 860-548-1888.

Sex Pizza and Max Creek to perform at SS&C SummerWind June 14 and 15

June 14 and 15 at SS&C SummerWind Performing Arts Center.

SummerWind’s tented theater, which protects 800+ people from summer showers, offers its third after-work Friday of the season at 5 p.m. on June 14 with rock cover band Sex Pizza.

On June 15 at 7 p.m. popular rock and roll jam band Max Creek makes its debut on the SummerWind stage.

Since its inception in 1971, Max Creek has been performing their own originals as well as songs by others, all played with their own stylistic twist flavored by their classical, jazz, folk and rock influences. Original members John Rider on bass, Windsor resident Mark Mercier on keyboards, and Scott Murawski on guitar, are joined by recent expert additions Bill Carbone on drums and Jamemurrell Stanley on percussion.

Sex Pizza was formed by Jon Peckham (Wallingford), Chip Fenney (Manchester), Jay Wiggin (Boston) and Billy Megofna (New Britain). Well known on the Connecticut club and pub scene, the band’s set list includes songs from The Who, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Oasis, Radiohead and Led Zeppelin.

Tickets for the June 14 Sex Pizza performance are $5 at the door only, with beer, wine and food available at reasonable prices. Gate opens at 4:30 p.m.

Tickets for the June 15 Max Creek show are $15 for general admission (tent and lawn seats on a first come first served basis) and $25 for premium reserved seats up front. Children 17 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased online from SummerWind’s web site (http://www.sscsummerwind.org/) or at the gate at 6 p.m.

Both events are rain or shine under the tent.

Nestled behind Windsor’s Griffin Office Park at 40 Griffin Road North between Blue Hills Avenue Extension and Day Hill Road, SummerWind’s iconic tented music venue offers laid-back ambience, affordable ticket prices and free parking, SummerWind’s big tent offers rain-or-shine entertainment with covered seating for over 800. An expanded concession area will serve beer, wine, soft drinks and food. Guests may also bring their own food and beverages to enjoy.

Upcoming Fridays at 5 p.m. for the T.G.I.F. Crowd performances include:
June 21 Acoustic folk artists Dana Pomfret and Tim McDonald
July 12: Roots-rock group John Mayock and the Homesteaders with singer/songwriter Carrie Johnson (originally scheduled June 7)
July 19 Roots-rock Americana band Lonesome Brothers
July 26 Blues-roots rock and roll band Mike Law & the Playboys
August 2 80’s Dance Party Band Orange Crush

Upcoming Saturday performances include:
June 22, 7 p.m. Rising country stars Nicole Frechette (a southern Connecticut native) & Marla Morris (a Bethany, Connecticut native) at 7 p.m.
June 29, 7 p.m. The United States Coast Guard Band at 7 p.m. U.S. military veterans and active duty will receive priority seating at this event. Tickets to the United States Coast Guard Band performance are free for all.

July 6, 2 p.m. Windsor Jazz Jam welcomes popular jazz artists the Yellowjackets and Marion Meadows with Jackie Ryan and Jimmy Greene. Tickets for this performance are $59 for cabaret tent seating and $39 for lawn seating. Gate opens at 12:30 pm.
July 20, 7 p.m. The Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra, a 10-vocalist rock band, will perform renditions of classic 60’s and 70’s British rock from Queen, David Bowie, The Beatles, The Who and more.
July 27, 7 p.m. SummerWind joins the Connecticut Blues Society to host Sugar Ray and The Bluetones with The Mike Crandall Band. The Society’s 18th Annual Band Challenge winner will also give a special performance that evening.
August 3, 7 p.m. Windsor, Conn. native and blues/country/rock artist Big Al Anderson.

Fridays at 5 for the T.G.I.F. Crowd tickets ($5) will only be available at the door before each event. Saturday and Sunday tickets may be purchased in advance online at SSCSummerWind.org or at the onsite SummerWind box office one hour before each event. With the exception of the July 6 Yellowjackets and Marion Meadows performance (tickets priced at $59 and $39) and the free U.S. Coast Guard Band performance on June 29, all other Saturday and Sunday tickets are $15 for general admission (tent and lawn seats on a first come first served basis) and $25 for premium reserved seats up front. Children 17 and under are free for all concerts except for the July 6 Yellowjackets performance.

All events are rain or shine under the tent.

About SS&C SummerWind Performing Arts Center
SS&C SummerWind is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the performing arts to Windsor and the Greater Hartford community. The outdoor Arts Center is located at 40 Griffin Road North, Windsor, CT in the Griffin Office Park where there is ample free parking.

SS&C SummerWind’s corporate title sponsor, SS&C Technologies, Inc., has generously supported the venue since 2009. The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, recently provided funding for a new main stage; the William & Alice Mortensen Foundation supported the purchase of new lighting and sound equipment. TicketNetwork is the series sponsor this year with Griffin Land, Konica Minolta, The Hartford, The Town of Windsor, Vertex Inc. and Windsor Federal Savings as major sponsors. Special thanks goes to the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit SSCSummerWind.org.

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