"About A Musical Feast"

A Musical Feast was founded in 2006 by retired Concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Haupt. It’s enlightened programming melds contemporary and classical music with poetry and dance in a setting featuring locally- and internationally acclaimed musicians and artists.

The first concert took place on March 29^th, 2006 in the beautiful "Kavinoky Theater" at D'Youville College. That concert featured the incomparable Charles Castleman giving a stunning performance of the rarely performed Ysaye Solo Violin Sonatas. During that first season, international super star on the Bass Trombone and member of the NY City Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Lincoln Center Chamber Players, David Taylor, contributed remarkable performances. That first season also saw a world premier by Berlin composer Ruth Wiesenfeld, incorporating the voice of British actor, Peter Hulton, a past recipient of the John Whiting Award for New Drama and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Following the success of “Remembering Lukas Foss” in 2008, A Musical Feast was well on its way to becoming a cultural leader in Buffalo music performance. In February 2009, the Burchfield Penney Art Center began collaborating on a series of concerts that have continued until the 20129-2020 season. Of the Burchfield concerts, “The Buffalo News” wrote, “If the programming and concertizing for ‘A MUSICAL FEAST’ continue to be as interesting as the initial offering was, it might become one of Western New York's cultural jewels." And it has!

For the coming season, A Musical Feast is taking its diverse performances into the Greater Buffalo Community. Please visit the Program page. The goal will continue to collaborate with the rich selection of musicians, actors, poets, dancers and visual artists.

As he has for more than 13 years, Mr. Haupt will continue to produce exciting new and innovative programming as Music Director of A Musical Feast. After 37 years of thrilling Buffalo audiences as Concertmaster of the BPO, Mr. Haupt retired to create A Musical Feast as a means to introduce audiences to musical and artistic performances rarely seen in the concert hall. In addition to his successes at the BPO, Mr. Haupt was Concertmaster of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center in N.Y. for 21 years, and taught on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music for 12 years

We mourn the passing of Charles' childhood friend, Jesse Levine and flutist Cheryl  Gobbetti-Hoffman, who joined in many concerts. We also mourn the passing of composer/pianist Lukas Foss and our dear friend pianist/conductor James Avery.

The Buffalo Evening News wrote: "If the programming and concertizing for "A MUSICAL FEAST" continue to be as interesting as the initial offering was, it might become one of Western New York's cultural jewels." And JWR Reviews, Canada, wrote: "Given the wonderful buffet that comprised Concert One, the future looks rich indeed for those who savor the art and notoriously demanding challenges of one person per part music.".

We are looking forward to a rich season of beautiful sounds.