This story was modified at 1 pm on Sunday, October 15 to correct the name of the Newtown Friends of Music founder and clarify the date its late President Ellen Parrella took over its leadership.

A decade after founder Floyd Higgins established the Newtown Friends of Music as a perennial feature at Edmond Town Hall, resident Ellen Fahrenholz and a number of music lovers, including future husband Fred Parrella, committed to continuing the concert series that has helped keep classical chamber music alive for three generations to experience, while supporting dozens of talented student musician scholars advance their skills.

On Sunday, October 15, 40 years of classical tradition will come to a close as Newtown Friends of Music (NFM) hosts its final concert. Following the 2016 death of NFM President Ellen (Fahrenholz) Parrella, organizers including her daughter Kaia Fahrenholz decided that the organization would end its run, and use its resources to see that similar organizations working to promote classical chamber music continue to do so - albeit in farther flung venues.

Ahead of this Sunday's 3 pm finale, Ms Fahrenholz told The Newtown BeeOctet for that the organization remains committed to seeing "exquisite music - superbly performed" to the very end. NFM is bringing two world-renowned groups - Daedalus Quartet and Brentano String Quartet - to perform Mendelssohn's acclaimed its Farewell Concert in the Edmond Town Hall Theatre.

"This will be a fitting, extravagant finale for Newtown's own highly respected chamber series," Ms Fahrenholz said. Preceding the Mendelssohn piece will be performances of Haydn's String Quartet in B minor, Op 64 No 2 and Beethoven's String Quartet No 16 in F Major, Op 135.

A reception and private dinner party will follow for the performing artists, managers, directors, patrons, donors, and even former artists who previously performed and are expected to attend.

Thinking back over the past four decades, Ms Fahrenholz watched how her mother, a self-taught concert promoter and producer, conducted the business of keeping a small but beloved concert series alive.

"Mom was the ultimate networker," Ms Fahrenholz said. "She hand-numbered every ticket and carefully tracked every dollar in and out of the organization. If a regular subscriber missed a single concert, Mom noted it and called them the following day to make sure they were healthy and safe."

The NFM founder kept in touch with everyone, updating phones, addresses, marriages, and deaths daily.

"She kept in contact with arts patrons who sent donations long after leaving Newtown, out of sentiment and loyalty," Ms Fahrenholz said. "She was the ultimate membership chair, and it turns out she was impossible to replace, having lived and breathed the arts in Newtown for 55 years."

Close Collaborators

Several local chamber series that NFM collaborated closely with over the years will be recognized and reintroduced to longtime subscribers during Sunday's final concert.

"That will be a symbolic handing off of one music-loving audience to other like-minded not-for-profit sister series," Ms Fahrenholz explained. "These include Wilton Candlelight Concerts, Danbury Concert Association, Connecticut Music Alliance, Pawling Concert Series, and Sherman Chamber Ensemble."

To encourage this relationship ends on the most positive note, she said NFM will be making donations to some of the organizations, using the balance of the NFM Endowment Fund as an act of paying it forward, which is specified in its dissolution bylaws.

According to Ms Fahrenholz, The New York Times once described Newtown Friends of Music as "The best chamber music series in Western Connecticut."

"The many volunteers and artists who helped it succeed over 40 years are proud of its contribution to Newtown's cultural history, and fully anticipate another grassroots effort will surface in the future - to take up the baton, so to speak," Ms Fahrenholz said.

Succession planning had long been a topic of conversation among its shrinking board of directors, but the death of longtime president Ms Parrella in 2016 placed the future of the series squarely in the crosshairs of an all-volunteer board. Given its aging subscriber base, the growth of dozens of nearby chamber series, and waning student interest, the decision to close rather than hire professionals to continue the organization was finalized late last year.

Regardless of its current following, the 1980s and 90s saw student outreach and development being a significant part of NFM's mission.

"During that time, more than ten world-renowned chamber groups hosted Master Classes with Newtown's middle school and high school orchestra students," Ms Fahrenholz recalled.

These guests were hosted by NFM patrons and subscribers and not a dime of taxpayer money was spent, she said.

"Like many Europeans and patrons of the arts worldwide, mom and Fred [Parrella, her second and late husband] hosted musicians in their home for decades," Ms Fahrenholz said. "These guests were welcomed for overnight stays, dinner parties, or just for rehearsals if the town hall was occupied and the performers arrived early."

Ms Parrella was apparently not shy about inviting some of her guests to utilize the homes and instruments of several other neighbors as well.

"Mom knew who had the best pianos in town and was not afraid to ask if they could be used for an impromptu rehearsal," Ms Fahrenholz said.

Master Classes And Scholars

In more recent years, NFM created an annual scholarship program, to help graduating high school seniors with a music major going on to study music at the university level in composition, performance, or education.

Michelle Hiscavich, director of visual and performing arts for Newtown Public Schools, said students were energized by those opportunities.

"Students had opportunity to interact with and be coached by professional musicians, helping them to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of playing technique and the joys of making music," Ms Hiscavich said, noting that graduating seniors pursuing a degree in music - including Erin Bell, Kai Hedin, Alyssa Rodriguez, and Lindsey Jones - have continued with their musical endeavors and are currently teaching and/or performing.

Ms Rodriguez, who earned her BM in music composition at Ithaca College, said her Friends of Music scholarship not only gave her "the fantastic opportunity to study music composition and film scoring at Ithaca College School of Music, it also initiated a wonderful friendship with Mrs Ellen Parrella.

"The scholarship helped me discover my compositional voice and fund studying music composition abroad in Vienna, Austria, where one of my fondest memories is meeting Mrs Parrella in Salzburg, and enjoying local sights and delicacies - not to mention a personal tour," Ms Rodriguez said. "While studying at Ithaca College and abroad, I also discovered my passion for European fiddle music, and little did I know my love of the modal music of film scores would lead to my current fiddle and teaching career."

First Selectman Pat Llodra said the Newtown community and all appreciators of classical music have been enriched by the long-running NFM series.

"The added cultural value is immeasurable, with live performances touching our spirit and stretching our awareness of the beauty of such sound," Mrs Llodra said. "It is sad, though, to have Friends of Music close. The absence of this wonderful music and the excellent volunteer organization will be noted and mourned.

"You will be missed," she said to the group.

Even the artists who graced the NFM programs queued up to offer brief memories and appreciations. American cello virtuoso Carter Brey described Newtown Friends of Music, under Ellen Parrella's guidance, as "a jewel in Connecticut's crown for many years."

"It was my privilege to perform three times on this distinguished series and I thank its board and subscribers for the opportunity," Mr Brey said. "I hope that a new, similar initiative will arise to continue the idea that the message of great classical chamber music can take root in smaller communities across the nation."

Spencer Myer, an award-winning American pianist who has performed extensively worldwide, recalled performing for Newtown Friends of Music in the historic Edmond Town Hall twice - once as a guest with Dorian Wind Quintet, and then just last season as a solo pianist.

"It is difficult to express in words my appreciation for an institution keeping the arts alive for such a vibrant community as Newtown, and providing artists a chance to share their art in such a terrific space," Mr Myer said.

"I will always remember in particular the great number of people who commented on being moved, and listened for sincerity in music-making - qualities I hold near and dear as a performing artist. As this great series comes to an end, I thank Ellen Parrella for some indelible memories."

Ms Fahrenholz said while her mother did much work during her 40 years with NFM, many other current and former residents played important roles in helping make Newtown a cultural hot spot on the "Chamber Music Map."

Among those many NFM supporters were Dieter Ashley, Lea Attanasio, Eleanor Bancroft, Kit Brinkman, Dave Brown, Dick Cogswell, Nancy Cogswell, Jane Conningham, John Doyle, Cheryl Edelen, Al Eller, Paul Gehrett, Ursula Goebel, Juanita Herd, Floyd Higgins, Phyllis Hodsdon, Marian Kretsch, Lea Kinstler, Dorothea LaBelle, Phil Lapat, Mary Ley, and Pat Lodato.

Also, Bob MacDonald, Tom Mahoney, Tom Northcott, Fred Parrella, Joan and Milorad Popovic, Manny Raices, Leslie Randall, Judith Rosenberg, Lori Scourby, Zelda Schwartz, Bob Shohet, Pat Smiertka, John Tebbel, Bill Timmel, John Zeigler, and Deb Zukowski.

Tickets are $25, and remaining sales Sunday's performance by Daedalus Quartet and Brentano String Quartet will be done at the door. The box office of Edmond Town Hall, at 45 Main Street, will open at 2 pm. Students are welcome, free of charge.

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