The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) and the New York Scandia Symphony today announced concert dates for the Symphony’s much anticipated 16th annual season at the historic Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. The LMDC awarded the Scandia Symphony $45,000 to support the “Concerts at One” series, which begins on November 2nd at 1:00PM and will be led by Director/Conductor, Dorrit Matson.

Praised as an exceptional orchestra, The New York Scandia Symphony will also perform at Trinity Church at 1:00PM on March 8, 2007 and June 7, 2007. The 46-member symphony is known for its distinctive warm and vibrant tone, expressive detail, and imaginative programming.

LMDC Chairman Kevin M. Rampe said, “The LMDC is proud to support the New York Scandia Symphony as it continues to share beautiful music with the community, workers and visitors. I applaud the Symphony’s commitment to Lower Manhattan and congratulate them on their sixteenth season at Trinity Church.”

Scandia Symphony Director/Conductor Dorrit Matson said, “We very much appreciate the LMDC’s support for the Scandia Symphony. We hope that many will come to Lower Manhattan to take in a performance at Trinity Church and enjoy the abundance of the culture and history downtown.”

In addition to the world premiere of Danish composer Poul Schierbeck’s Schnedler, the program includes the overture to Schierbeck’s Fête Galante, Carl Nielsen’s Five Songs, Opus 4 (orchestration by Jan Maegaard) with mezzo Hanne Ladefoged Dollase, Nielsen’s Saga-drøm, and the popular Midsommarvaka (Midsummer’s Vigil) by Hugo Alfvén.

The grant for these performances is part of the LMDC’s $27.4 million commitment to 63 Lower Manhattan arts organizations and projects to enhance culture throughout neighborhoods downtown. The grants are expected to leverage more than $410 million in investments for cultural institutions below Houston Street.

Schnedler (in Memoriam) was written, probably in 1938, in memory of the conductor Frederik Schnedler Petersen, who died that year. Schnedler quotes from four composers: Jean Sibelius, Johan Svendsen, Hugo Alfvén and Carl Nielsen. After the fire in Tivoli Gardens in 1943 the materials were lost, and all that remained was Schierbeck’s hand-written pencil score. Dorrit Matson was able to obtain this material from the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen, for review. After consultation with Professor Jan Maegaard, a student of Schierbeck, Ms. Matson contacted Alan Bower, a specialist in linguistics, who completed a new score and parts for Scandia’s world premiere.

Led by Dorrit Matson, the orchestra is committed to presenting music by classical, romantic and contemporary Scandinavian composers. A native of Copenhagen, Denmark, Ms. Matson is acclaimed for her performances of Scandinavian music and her vast repertoire of European and American masterpieces. Her performances are broadcast frequently on National Public Radio and local radio stations. Her numerous awards include a Fulbright Fellowship, the American Scandinavian Society of New York Award, the Italian State Scholarship, the Denmark-American Fund Prize, and the American Women’s Club Award.

A native of Randers, Denmark, mezzo Hanne Ladefoged-Dollase has performed extensively throughout North America. Before moving to New York, Ms. Ladefoged-Dollase lived in Seattle, where she appeared with the Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Orchestra Seattle, Northwest Chamber Orchestra, the Northwest Sinfonietta and the Early Music Guild of Seattle. She has performed in avant-garde and baroque opera, as well as such standard repertoire as Die Fledermaus (Orlovsky), Hansel and Gretel (Hansel) and Rigoletto (Maddalena). In the New York area, she has sung with the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, the Oratorio Society of New Jersey, the Ars Musica Chorale, the Essex Chorale, the National Chorale, and at Trinity Church. In June 2006 she performed with the Scandia String Quartet in the Scandinavian Music Festival in Fort Tryon Park. In May 2007 Ms. Ladefoged-Dollase will sing Bach (Cantata No. 21) and Mendelssohn (Die erste Walpurgisnacht) with the St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.