Join us as we celebrate the restoration and return to Ringwood Manor of the Martha Wood Belcher painting “Abram Hewitt Estate”. Come get a first look at the newly restored painting and enjoy a concert featuring classical music of the era with works by Aaron Copeland, Samuel Barber and more.
The concert will be performed by a talented quartet of artists, Julianne Froehlich, Amanda McGarry Shawn David Dey & Mark Uhlemann accompanied by pianist Garah Landes. The concert will be held in the Carriage Barn gallery on Sunday, October 1 at 3pm, doors open at 2:30pm.
Remaining tickets are $15 at the door.
Current RMMA Members are FREE!
The Painting:
Martha Wood Belcher was a young woman before her time, studying art at the college level and selling landscapes to help support her family. Belcher studied her craft at Cooper Union and potentially acted as a nanny to the Hewitt family so her ties to the property are strong. The painting is in the style of the Hudson River school, which like the Cooper-Hewitt family is notable for its inclusion of women both in education and exhibition.
The painting is of the earliest images of the historic Ringwood Manor property, circa 1865, near the time the Cooper-Hewitt family acquired the property, but prior to their many renovations. Completed in an age before landscape photography was available, the painting depicts a view of the estate and surrounding area, showing roads and structures that no longer exist.
The Performers:
Julianne Froehlich, soprano:
Soprano Julianne Froehlich has been performing around New Jersey and New York. Roles include Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutte), The Witch (Into the Woods), Rose/Mazeppa (Gypsy), 1st Lady (The Magic Flute), Inez (Il Trovatore) Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Countess Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro), Giovanna/Il Paggio (Rigoletto) and Alice (Le Comte de Ory). Julianne has performed with companies like The Lighthouse Opera Company, Opera 691, Opera Company of Brooklyn, Opera Theatre of Montclair, North Star Theatre Company, Drama Geek Studios, Eccentric Theater Company, Spooky Goose Opera Company, New Jersey Vocal Arts Collaborative and New York Opera Forum.
Amanda McGarry, mezzo-soprano:
Mezzo-soprano Amanda McGarry has been seen as Tisbe (Cenerentola), Second Lady and Papagena (The Magic Flute), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Sally (A Hand of Bridge), and in the chorus of Madama Butterfly. She has performed with companies including: Sarasota Opera, Salt Marsh Opera, and College Light Opera Company. Ms. McGarry graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from New York University. She is currently
the alto section leader at Upper Ridgewood Community Church and, when she is not singing, is employed as a project manager.
Shawn David Dey, tenor:
Shawn David Dey is the tenor section leader at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church.He has been the same for St. John the Divine and St. Francis of Assisi churches in Manhattan. Shawn also worked singing at many venues on O’ahu and throughout the state of Hawaii. He has his Bachelor of Music in Ethnomusicology from the Wheaton Conservatory of music, completing his field work in Papua New Guinea. His Master of Music in Vocal Performance is from the University of Hawaii. Shawn is currently an instrumental and vocal music teacher in the Montclair public school system
Mark Uhlemann, bass-baritone:
Mark Uhlemann, bass-baritone, has performed around the world with such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, and the Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Aspen Music Festivals. As a narrator, he loves bringing life to nonfiction works like audiobooks, documentaries, and e-learnings. To hear more, visit markuhlemann.com or marknarrates.com
Garah Landes, pianist/accompanist:
Garah Landes is a pianist, composer, arranger, organist and choral director. A native of Westchester County, NY, Garah made a critically acclaimed New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall. His debut recording, music of Liszt, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev, was released on the Stradivari Classics label. KOCH International Classics released his CD devoted to American composers Charles Griffes and Edward MacDowell.
In 1997, Garah and his brother, Gregory Landes formed the Piano and Percussion duo, Synchronicity, for which Garah has composed numerous works, including the Royal Banners, and the Double Concerto which premiered in New York. In 2019, Synchronicity gave the U.S. premier of the Double Concerto for Piano, Percussion and Strings, “Illumination” by Kevin Lau. Recent projects include EP recording with renowned jazz trombonist, Robin Eubanks. Garah and Gregory began a series of collaborations with the Grammy-award winning clarinetist, Paquito D’Rivera. Concerts include Symphony Space, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Garah is a core member of the Pit Stop Players in New York, a large chamber group devoted to commissioning new music in the contemporary classical and jazz genres. Garah is the organist and choirmaster at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
