Reflections & Renewal: Music to Embrace the New Year

The virtuoso oboist Benda Schuman-Post’s ensemble, Sonic Forest,  is so named because its music is inspired by nature. The concert features flute, oboe, upright bass and piano. This assortment of songs promises to jog happy memories and inspire new ones while offering opportunities for reflection and reminding us that love, friendship, harmony and compassion set the tone for happiness in the New Year. Sing along to “Tzena, Tzena,” “My Yiddishe Momma,” “Shalom Chavorim,” and “Sunrise Sunset.” Get up and dance to “Kiever (Kiev) Bulgar,” and the Russian Waltz: “Expectation.” Marvel at the “Hunky Dory Blues,” “Troublesome Freylakh,” “Danny’s Spark” and that’s just the beginning.  

Uniquely versatile, daring, adventurous, and devoted to educational, entertaining concert programing, oboist Brenda Schuman-Post formed Sonic Forest in 2011. In various instrumental combinations, and performing diverse repertoire that includes classical, jazz, Celtic, American Songbook and original improvisations, Sonic Forest presents concerts, lectures and workshops in almost every conceivable type of venue. Brenda is celebrating 60 years of playing the oboe every day, pretty much without fail. Among her claims to fame are winning the Star Trek Idol Talent Search by composing and performing “Fantasy on Themes from Star Trek.” She was the first musician to witness the search for and harvesting of African Blackwood, the East African tree from which woodwind instruments are made, to explore what the sound of the oboe means to humanity and to present related exhibits and discussions to audiences worldwide.