Our Conductor

               Ertan Sener

      Ertan Seyyar Sener is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music with a conducting degree.  Mr. Sener founded and performed regularly with Steel Sunrise Steel Drum Band, which released their debut recording in July 2001. He has taught at schools such as: Kingswood Oxford Middle School (Director of Instrumental Music), The Hartford Conservatory, The Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts, The University of Connecticut (West Hartford), The Metropolitan Learning Center (Bloomfield, C.R.E.C.), and (The Renbrook School Director of Percussion Ensemble).  He is currently Director of the Hartt School Elementary and Middle School Percussion Ensembles, President of the Studio of Electronic Music, Inc., as well as guest teacher/conductor/performer at many public and private institutions throughout Connecticut.  Mr. Sener is former President and Associate Conductor of The Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra and former Assistant Conductor of The Manchester Symphony.  He has performed as percussionist with: Waterbury Symphony, Wallingford Symphony, New Britain Symphony and New Britain Chorale.

 

      Mr. Sener had the pleasure of studying and interviewing American composer Lou Harrison on a number of occasions, particularly on his Violin Concerto with Percussion Orchestra.  Mr. Sener recorded the Concerto in 1995 with the Hartt Percussion Ensemble and presented it to Mr. Harrison.  In a letter soon thereafter, Mr. Harrison wrote; “The young conductor had a good sense of the flow of each movement and a right comprehension of the entire work.  I found it a pleasure to listen to, and noted the details were well understood in each movement.”  The Concerto was recorded again in 1999 with the Hartt Percussion Ensemble.  The Compact Disc was distributed throughout Turkey and parts of Europe.  Mr. Sener traveled to Ankara, Turkey with the New Dimensions Ensemble as part of the 19th annual Ankara International Music Festival, performing the works of some pinnacle American composers of the twentieth century avant-garde.

 

      Mr. Sener is concerned with the quality of music education within our society, particularly with what is offered to the general public.  Mr. Sener, for three years, has offered a free to the public lecture series held at the Simsbury Public Library. (" Music Through Time") was the first set of six lectures that offered techniques in how to listen to music more intently.  The second series of lectures entitled, ("Music Through Time: Through the Opera Glass"), Mr. Sener took an in-depth look at the operas that were part of Connecticut Opera’s season.  The third entitled “Music for the Birds”, looked at the use of bird calls in music from early music to the twentieth century, focusing on the works of Olivier Messiaen.

 

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