Date: Fri 20-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Cardona-theatre-pipe-organ

Full Text:

Newtown Musician Will Donate Time For A Holiday Concert

(with cut)

BY SHANNON HICKS

THOMASTON -- Juan Cardona, Jr, will return to Thomaston Opera House next

weekend for a theatre pipe organ Pops concert. The Newtown resident has

devoted a large part of his life to the study and performance of theatre

organs, and regularly performs across the state.

On Sunday, November 29, Juan will perform an afternoon concert, "Theatre Pipe

Organ Pops and Holiday Concert," on the historic opera house's grand theatre

pipe organ. The concert will begin at 2 pm, and tickets will be available at

the door.

Tickets are $10 in advance (they will be $12 Sunday afternoon), and can be

reserved by calling 860/283-6250 or 860/868-7226. Student tickets are $5

regardless, and children age ten and under will be admitted free. Seating will

be by general admission.

The performance is being presented by the Connecticut Valley Theatre Organ

Society. Juan is currently president of the non-profit organization.

Juan Cardona, Jr, began studying piano at the age of seven. He continued his

studies through college, having majored in classical organ. He recently

graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor in music arts

degree. He studied classical organ at UConn with Angela Salcedo, and has

studied theatre organ with Jelani Eddington.

In 1994 and 1995 he won the American Theatre Organ Society's hobbyist

competition. He has performed theatre organ concerts for ATOS chapters in

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and across Connecticut.

Juan also recently received his Microsoft Certified Professional Degree and is

working towards a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineering Degree. In addition

to his full-time job at Eagle Picher Industries in Stratford, Juan is

currently the staff organist at Thomaston Opera House, as well as the Bardavon

Opera House in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

For both houses, he entertains audiences with organ preludes prior to stage

shows. He occasionally plays the saxophone in the pit orchestra for shows at

the Thomaston Opera House.

"The Thomaston Opera House is special to me, because that's where I heard my

first theatre organ concert," the pianist recently said. When he was seven or

eight years old, Juan attended a concert that would change his life. "I heard

my first concert there, and it had always been my dream to play the Thomaston

organ just once."

"Now I've fulfilled that dream, and more, because I can play almost any time I

want to over there."

The opera house is over 100 years old. Continuous renovations have kept the

building in beautiful condition, Juan pointed out. The building was

constructed in the 1880s, but, says Juan, "It's a jewel. It's a really nice

place to go. It's not a large place -- maybe 550 people, max -- but it's a

really neat building."

Of course, one of the primary reasons the opera house was built was for the

performance of music. Wood predominates the interior of the opera house, which

has always added to sound quality of productions.

"One of the cool things about this place is the combination of the organ and

the room. The way it's designed, this is the perfect location for the organ,"

Juan said. "The whole room is all wood, and wood is a very good sounding

board, so it helps to really get the organ out and have the sound bouncing all

over the room.

"It's not a crazy amount of reverberation, but it's the perfect combination.

You couldn't ask for anything better."

The concert next weekend will not be the first seasonal performance Mr Cardona

has performed. Two years ago he presented "A Christmas with Juan," a holiday

concert at Shelton High School. The school has one of the best theatre pipe

organs in the state.

For his upcoming Thomaston concert, Juan has a two-part program planned. The

first half of the concert will be non-Christmas selections. Following

intermission, the second half of the afternoon will be the holiday portion of

his performance.

"Right now it feels really weird practicing Christmas music," he laughed. "By

the time December rolls around, I'm not going to feel like playing it any

more.

"By dividing the program, I can also satisfy my own performance needs with the

non-Christmas stuff," he continued. "You don't want to be playing two straight

hours of strictly that. It could become very uninteresting."

That's not to say Juan is not looking forward to next weekend's concert.

"I do enjoy this music. It's stuff everybody recognizes," he said. "By putting

the Christmas music in the second half of the program, that's the last thing

everyone is going to hear before they leave.

"It gives people a good, warm, happy feeling for the holiday season."