Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut

Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut Engage, Enrich, Inspire! Our mission is to provide professional arts events at affordable prices to all ages in Northeastern Connecticut and nearby areas.

Central to our mission are our Children’s Opera, Symphony, and Kindergarten programs.

07/22/2024

Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut Announces Milestone Collaboration with Loos Center for the Arts

Woodstock, CT (July 22, 2024) – Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut (P/Arts) is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in its ongoing mission to bring professional arts and entertainment to the region. Established in 1974 as Opera New England, P/Arts has a long history of enriching the cultural fabric of Northeastern Connecticut through diverse artistic performances at Annhurst College, Data General, The Hyde, and now, the beautiful Loos Center for the Arts.

Since The Woodstock Academy took ownership of the facility now known as Loos Center for the Arts in 2017, P/Arts has built a strong partnership with Loos Center and its dedicated staff. This collaboration has enhanced community arts programming, especially for children. Over the past seven years, Loos Center has been crucial in supporting P/Arts’ initiatives by handling logistics such as artist booking, marketing, and ticketing.

Today, P/Arts is proud to announce that its board members have reached an agreement with The Woodstock Academy Foundation, Inc. to secure the future of its mission by transferring its endowment to a restricted fund at Loos Center for the Arts. This fund will uphold the original mission of Opera New England/Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut by providing professional arts events and educational programs at affordable prices to people of all ages in Northeastern Connecticut and nearby areas. Importantly, these events will continue to be presented free of charge to school-aged children, continuing the goal of introducing young audiences to professional musical performances, including opera and symphony.

Melissa Zahansky, Board Chair of Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut, expressed her excitement about the transfer. “To the countless donors who have generously supported Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut over the past 50 years, my heartfelt thank you. Your unwavering dedication has been the cornerstone of our success. As we embark on this exciting new chapter, the transfer of our program will ensure its longevity, allowing us to continue inspiring and enriching our community for generations to come. Your support means the world to us, and together, we will keep the arts alive and thriving.”

While P/Arts board members will continue to assist with the fund, the support of The Woodstock Academy Foundation will enable the fund to grow beyond P/Arts’ sole capabilities. This growth will ensure that arts programming in the Northeast Connecticut region will continue to thrive in the future.

Eric Davidson, Executive Director of Loos Center for the Arts, highlighted the importance of this collaboration. “Performing and visual arts are vital components in education, allowing children and adults to experience the world through different lenses than day-to-day life. Through this endeavor, we’re delighted to strengthen the future of the Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut mission and expand the top-notch arts offerings available within our region.”

Stay tuned for announcements from Loos Center for the Arts regarding the fund's first public fundraiser in September 2024. This event will feature the first public opera at the venue since Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut presented "Madame Butterfly" in 2014.

Supporters of the Opera New England/Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut mission are encouraged to contribute to this newly developed fund. For additional information, visit theloos.org/giving/paf.

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Contact:
Melissa Zahansky
Board Chair
Opera New England dba Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut
Email: [email protected]

Eric Davidson
Executive Director
Loos Center for the Arts
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (860) 963-6789

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About Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut
Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut’s mission is to provide a variety of professional arts events at affordable prices that appeal to people of all ages in northeastern Connecticut and nearby areas. Central to our mission are our Children’s Educational Opera, our Children’s Educational Symphony, and our kindergarten “Science of Sound” programs, presented free of charge to area towns, which introduce schoolchildren to professional arts experiences.

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About Loos Center for the Arts
Loos Center for the Arts at The Woodstock Academy is dedicated to cultivating inspiration, education, and engagement through the arts. Originally built in 1967 on the campus of Annhurst College, the venue was to bring arts to the "Quiet Corner" of Connecticut -- an area that otherwise was left without ease of access. Through the years, the facility slowly became less public-focused; used for a period of time as a training facility and then later by a different independent school as their campus meeting space. In 2017, the venue was purchased by The Woodstock Academy with a revitalized vision for what the facility could present. As a result, Center for the Arts was created to fulfill the vision of years past; giving back to the local community by bringing accessible visual and performing arts to the area. In May of 2019, a commitment of historic level by Mrs. Joan Loos was given to support The Woodstock Academy's vision. The gift, committed in honor of her late husband, August "Gus" Loos, was a way to further honor her husband and their company while securing arts opportunities for thousands of students and community members for years to come. This resulted in the renaming of the fine arts facility to Loos Center for the Arts.

Thanks, Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger for sharing our story about the Science of Sound program!
04/24/2024

Thanks, Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger for sharing our story about the Science of Sound program!

Thanks, The Pomfret Times for sharing our story on Azul String Quartet!
04/24/2024

Thanks, The Pomfret Times for sharing our story on Azul String Quartet!

Thanks to Villager Newspapers for sharing this story a few weeks ago about Bee True To You :-)
04/20/2024

Thanks to Villager Newspapers for sharing this story a few weeks ago about Bee True To You :-)

Thanks Villager Newspapers for front page story!
04/12/2024

Thanks Villager Newspapers for front page story!

The Science of Sound Delights KindergartenersThanks to Performing Arts of Northeast CT, area kindergarten classes have e...
04/10/2024

The Science of Sound Delights Kindergarteners

Thanks to Performing Arts of Northeast CT, area kindergarten classes have enjoyed learning about science and music for the last seven years from talented musician and educator Sally Rogers. At Woodstock Elementary School in late March, one class of six-year-olds paid close attention for nearly a full hour to Rogers’ interactive program exploring the nature and creation of sound and music. Students sang, played instruments, asked scientific questions, tested theories, learned concepts and vocabulary, and each child even got to conduct a tiny percussion performance by their classmates.

The Science of Sound in-class workshop supplements school music curricula by engaging children in inquiry-based learning and guided critical thinking. Through observation, hands-on activities, play, and song, students learn about vibration, compression and sound waves; get to ask and answer questions like a scientist; how percussion and stringed instruments work and more. According to Rogers, in the past up to 25 schools and 1,500 students have participated in a single year. For 2024, students from 18 different schools in northeast CT took part. “Over eight years, we've probably served close to 8,000 students with this program.”

Annie Seraphin has been a paraprofessional assisting teachers at Woodstock Elementary for over 30 years and has seen Rogers’ program several times. “I think every school system should have Sally Rogers visit. She is amazing. Woodstock is fortunate to have her.” The Science of Sound program is provided for free to area schools, supported by funds from non-profit Performing Arts of NECT.

For more information, visit www.performingartsnect.org/science-of-sound . To learn more about Sally Rogers, visit sallyrogers.com/

Thanks to Villager Newspapers for sharing our story about the Azul String Quartet visiting local schools and a performac...
04/09/2024

Thanks to Villager Newspapers for sharing our story about the Azul String Quartet visiting local schools and a performace at Loos Center for the Arts.

Azul Quartet Performs Chamber Music for Students On March 28th, local students enjoyed a chamber music performance by Az...
04/01/2024

Azul Quartet Performs Chamber Music for Students

On March 28th, local students enjoyed a chamber music performance by Azul String Quartet at Loos Center for the Arts. This concert experience followed a school visit by the Quartet the prior week. Sponsored by Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut, this musical experience was free to student groups. Teachers, administrators and parents can learn about future educational shows by signing up for email updates at https://www.theloos.org/daytime-edu-shows.

“It has been a joy to share our love of chamber music with students in the area,” says Azul Quartet Violinist Janet Jacobson. “We had six fantastic school visits, during which we introduced ourselves, our instruments and the basics of chamber music.” They then performed familiar classical standards plus some pop favorites. Students from Canterbury, Killingly, Union, Eastford, Brooklyn and Thompson elementary schools enjoyed meeting the Quartet at their schools and the follow-up performance at the Loos Center.

“The theme for our performance at the Loos Center is ‘Conversations with Friends’,” says Jacobson. “Building on the basics that we introduced in the school visit, we explore how string quartet music allows the players to take turns sharing stories and emotions.” The Loos Center performance included works by Haydn, Mozart, and Dvorak, as well as contemporary composers Jessie Montgomery, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate.

The Azul Quartet formed in 2021. Its members--Eugenio Figueroa, Pablo Issa, Janet Jacobson, and Sarah Washburn--are all professional musicians and teachers at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford. “We have played together for many years with various ensembles in the area,” says Jacobson. “Our repertoire includes works from the genre’s 350-year history, but we pride ourselves in focusing on works by living composers, especially underrepresented composers.” Learn more at https://azulstringquartet.com/.

After a school visit last week, local students will enjoy a chamber music performance by Azul String Quartet this Thursd...
03/27/2024

After a school visit last week, local students will enjoy a chamber music performance by Azul String Quartet this Thursday at Loos Center for the Arts.
(Photo credit to Hayley De Angeles and Seina Shirakura)

Anti-Bullying Performance A Hit With StudentsOn February 22nd, students from six area schools enjoyed an inspiring and f...
03/12/2024

Anti-Bullying Performance A Hit With Students

On February 22nd, students from six area schools enjoyed an inspiring and fun interactive experience at the Loos Center for the Arts. Bee True to You, an award-winning rock/pop musical for children, was sponsored by Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut, which provided free admission to student groups. Participating schools included The Learning Clinic (Brooklyn); Pomfret Community School; Natchaug School (Windham); and Union, Chaplin, and Eastford elementary schools.

Bee True To You featured high-energy music, dancing, audience input and an appealing storyline. The narrative addressed bullying, social media, friendship, problem solving, and finding confidence in yourself and your own special talents (your “zing”). TOBI (played by show creator and performing artist Ashley Tobias) and her best friend BTTY THE BEE (Matthew Hooper) had students clapping, dancing and comfortably sharing their thoughts as the performers moved through the audience with microphones.

Leslibella from Natchaug School was impressed by BTTY’s onstage backflip and proud to share her “zing” (crocheting) with the audience. A student from Eastford Elementary said, “The show taught me a lesson that in hard times if you care about people, they will care about you.” Natchaug School teacher Lauren Jara called the musical engaging and relevant. “A lot of our students have faced social media issues. It was nice for them to see it onstage and get ideas on how to handle situations.” The show’s messages fit well with the social-emotional curriculum at Jara’s school. “We’ve been talking about the power of being unique, learning to be kind, and respecting what makes others special.” On the bus before the show, she asked students to raise a hand if they’d ever seen a play or musical; only three did. Jara appreciates that Performing Arts of NECT offers access to entertainment that her students might not see outside of their programs.

Bee True to You was designed to inspire kids “to rise above bullying and embrace the power of compassion and self-acceptance.” For more information see www.beetruetoyou.org Teachers, administrators and parents can learn about future educational shows by signing up for their email list at https://www.theloos.org/daytime-edu-shows and following their social media.

THIS Thursday at Loos Center for the Arts.
02/20/2024

THIS Thursday at Loos Center for the Arts.

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150 Route 169
Woodstock, CT
06281

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+18609636789

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