ABOUT FRANK VASI - Artistic Director
Composer and Saxophonist Frank Vasi graduated from the Mannes College of Music in New York City where he received a BM in Performance, studying saxophone and clarinet with Joseph Allard and Frank Socolow and composition with Fred Werle and David Loeb. As a New York freelance musician and teacher, Frank also performed with his own Jazz ensemble The Frank Vasi Quartet, and as a side man with such distinguished Jazz greats as Benny Goodman, Doc Cheatham, Joe Jones and Victor Gaskin.
Vasi’s choral works have been performed at Alice Tully and Avery Fisher Hall and his choral composition, King Whitlaf’s Drinking Horn won The Chorus Director’s Prize for the 2011 Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition.
In 2007 the pianist Ronald Hawkins gave the European premier of Brooklyn Bridge at the Academy of Saint Martin-in the Fields (London) and at the Rachmaninov House in Russia on Rachmaninov’s very own piano.
In 2011, Frank formed The Thimble Islands Saxophone Quartet. Along with his own compositions Vasi arranges all the music, drawing from the classical as well as jazz, Broadway, popular and traditional genres. His works for saxophone quartet have been performed in Amsterdam, England and Germany and his saxophone music is published by Dorn Publications.
Frank is currently the music director for The Stony Creek Singers. He composes and arranges all the music for the chorus which features a wide and varied selection of musical styles.
In June of 2022 the Stony Creek Singers gave the world premiere performance of Frank Vasi’s Our Better Angels scored for SATB mixed chorus, soloists, woodwinds, strings, and piano.
A Short History of The Stony Creek Singers
The Stony Creek Singers has been a part of the Stony Creek community for over 50 years. In the beginning, the choir performed mostly Holiday concerts at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library and later at the Stony Creek Congregational Church. Over the past years, the ensemble gave occasional concerts programming a variety of musical selections. In 2005, it commissioned Frank Vasi to compose a work about the history of Stony Creek. That work,” In Some Chosen Place”, was premiered with great success and acclaim and led to a very close relationship between the composer and the choir, performing many original works by Stony Creeks own composer in-residence, Frank Vasi.
In June of 2022, the choir began a new era with the world premier performance of Frank Vasi’s “Our Better Angels”. In January 2023, The Stony Creek Singers became formally organized as a 501(c) (3), achieving nonprofit artistic organization status.
All concerts are free and donations are gratefully welcomed.
On November 11, 2022 the ensemble performed as part of a regularly scheduled concert series: Music for a Sunday Afternoon. These concerts are scheduled on the 2nd Sunday of November and June, 4:00pm at the Stony Creek Congregational Church.
Music and artistic director, Frank Vasi composes and arranges all the music for the ensemble. His innovative arrangements are fresh Interpretations of well known music from the classical, Broadway, popular and traditional genres, complemented by his original compositions some of which are world premieres.
The Stony Creek Singers boasts a compliment of performers from Branford, Guilford, Madison, New Haven, East Haven and Deep River. The total number of singers is around 25 of which 17 live in Branford.
It is our belief, that in concert, the programming of various musical styles attracts an audience who enjoy this variety. It is also our belief, that the juxtaposition of music of different genres, enhances as well as reflects the beauty and greatness of each musical selection.
The singers and musicians who make up the Stony Creek Singers come together, bringing their talents and investing their time, working to produce something truly beautiful to give to the Branford community.
Music.
Whether a work of Bach or Faure, a Beatles tune or a traditional folk melody, these concerts provide people with moments filled with imagination and inspiration.
Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote: “Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory.
The Stony Creek Singers will provide future memories.