ECSO Concert Mozart, Marx, Beethoven- Saturday, January 27, 2024, 7:30 pm Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London, CT 06320

In between the Mozart and the Beethoven on the program, the ECSO will be joined by harpists Colleen Potter Thorburn (former ECSO principal harp), a Virginia Commonweath University faculty member, and Jaclyn Wappel to present the Double Harp Concerto of Bill Marx. Marx is the adopted son of Harpo Marx and Susan Fleming, and became his father’s music arranger and conductor at age 16. Though Harpo, the non-speaking Marx Brother, did not read music, he eventually learned proper harp technique from celebrated harpist Mildred Dilling.

Bill Marx says that his relationship with Harpo was “as good a relationship as father and son can possibly have. He was a kind, gentle, and understanding human being.” Harpo Marx played the harp entirely by ear, never learning to read or write a note of music. The visual dynamics of the Double Harp Concerto are another way of paying homage to him. To Bill Marx music is all about “enjoyment,” and he’s “quite honored” that the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra is performing his Double Harp Concerto thereby perpetuating the tradition of musical enjoyment to audiences in New London and beyond.
January 27 is the 267th anniversary of the birth of Mozart in Salzburg. To mark the occasion, as a highlight of the ECSO’s first concert of 2024, Music Director & Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada will lead a performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major, known as the “Jupiter.” Mozart completed his last and, at about 30 minutes, longest symphony in 1788, pointing the way to the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major will conclude the concert, performed by ECSO Instrumental Competition winner Jinyoung Yoon, a South Korean-born graduate of Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Written in 1806, the concerto was forgotten until it was revived in London, conducted by Felix Mendelssohn with 12-year-old Joseph Joachim as soloist.
There will be a complimentary post-concert reception.
This concert is generously sponsored by American Landscape and Lawn Science.
To purchase tickets:
Single tickets to events are available for purchase through the ECSO and Garde Arts Center website at ectsymphony.com and gardearts.org, or by calling the Garde Arts Center box office at 860-444-7373, ext. 1.
In addition to a range of affordable single-ticket options—from $65 to as low as $12—the ECSO offers those under 40 years of age and active or retired military members $12 tickets in selected sections.
Subscribing to the ECSO’s concert season provides a significant discount versus purchasing individual tickets, secures your seats, and grants you access to complimentary vouchers which you can use to bring along family or friends.
Colleen Thorburn Bio:

Colleen Potter Thorburn has performed widely throughout the United States, most recently as tenured Principal Harpist with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (ECSO) from 2012-2023, as a regular substitute with the Virginia Symphony and Richmond Symphony Orchestra from 2015- 2023, and as a founding member of chamber ensembles such as Apple Orange Pair with horn player Emily Boyer (horn and harp), Duo Shockoe with harpist Jaclyn Wappel (harp duo), and the Thorburn Duo with Benjamin Thorburn, bass-baritone.
Colleen has performed as an orchestral harpist and harp fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and the International Festival-Institute at Round Top; as a concerto soloist with Symphony Nova in Boston, with the ECSO, and with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Symphony as part of its international Villa-Lobos Festival; as a chamber musician with the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine and as an artist-in-residence with Connecticut Summerfest in Hartford; and as a freelancer with diverse ensembles, including back-up harp for Kanye West’s Chicago-area shows and as a member of Three Penny Chorus and Orchestra on the 2013 season of America’s Got Talent.
An enthusiastic educator, Colleen recently joined the teaching faculty of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where she teaches Music Theory and Music Appreciation courses as well as Harp. Previously, she taught Music Theory, Aural Skills, Keyboard Skills courses, and Harp at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. She has taught as a guest clinician for the American Youth Harp Ensemble’s summer session in Richmond, the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Harp Society’s “Philly Harp Day,” the Virginia Harp Center’s “RVA Harp Day” and “Ensemble Day” in Midlothian, VA, and she has presented recitals at the American Harp Society’s National Summer Institutes at St. Olaf in Minnesota and at Utah State University in Logan, UT, with the Thorburn Duo and Apple Orange Pair.
Colleen is a past winner of the national American Harp Society Anne Adams Awards. She holds DMA, MMA, and MM degrees in harp performance from the Yale School of Music, and a BM degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign, studying with harpists June Han and Ann Yeung, respectively.
Jaclyn Wappel Bio:
Dr. Jaclyn Wappel, a seasoned performer, instructor, and accomplished scholar, has showcased her talents on international stages, captivating audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Hong Kong, Peru, and India with mesmerizing recitals, masterclasses, and workshops. Her passion for music inspired by Southeast and East Asian cultures is prominent in her musical contributions to the harp community as well as reflected in her role on the American Harp Society Journal’s Editorial Board.
In 2016 she earned her Doctor of Arts degree from Ball State University under the tutelage of Elizabeth Richter and recently moved from Kansas to South Korea where she maintains an active private harp studio and continues to share her music in various performance settings.
Jaclyn’s teaching journey includes positions at Minot State University, James Madison University, Southern Virginia University, and Washington and Lee University. Her musical talent has taken her to prestigious orchestras, including the Kansas City Symphony, Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, Charlottesville Opera, Richmond Symphony, and more.
Beyond her musical talents, Jaclyn is a licensed massage therapist, embracing holistic practices in her professional and personal life. She finds balance through activities like hiking, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and yoga. In her leisure moments, Jaclyn enjoys the simple pleasures, spending quality time with her husband Chris, and cuddling with her beloved beagle, Ruby.
Jinyoung Yoon Bio:
Jinyoung Yoon was born in South Korea in 1998. She started playing the violin at the age of 5 and attended Yewon Middle School of Music in Seoul.
While studying with Joseph Kim and Boksu Kim, Jinyoung won the grand prize in Music Education Newspaper Competition and first prize in Baroque Competition in Korea.
 Ms. Yoon has appeared as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Myung-Whun Chung. In 2010, she was selected to perform in the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series. In 2012, she was accepted to Juilliard Pre-College program, and studied with Hyo Kang. She won the Pre-college Assemble Competition and performed as a soloist at the annual Juilliard orchestra concert.
She has attended the Yellow Barn Music Festival, Great Mountains International Music Festival, Sejong International Festival, Heifetz International Music institute for Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum program, and violin Masterclasses at Kronberg Academy.
She’s been invited to some of the great violin competitions such as the Menuhin Competition, Montreal Competition, and the Singapore International Violin Competition. She has had masterclasses with Donald Weilerstein, Augustin Hadelich, and Benjamin Schmid. Her previous teachers include Bok-soo Kim, Joseph Kim, Hyo Kang, and Elissa Koljonen.
She entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2016, and studied with Aaron Rosand is now studying with Midori. Ms. Yoon won the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Instrumental Competition in 2023.
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The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce our 2023-24 season lineup, curated by Music Director & Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada. Season highlights include the 100^th Anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue, The Tom Brown 6, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus singing Haydn’s Lord Nelson’s Mass, and international guest artists. From early fall to late spring, the 75-plus member professional Symphony Orchestra presents six subscription concerts annually, most of which feature guest soloists. Subscription concerts are primarily performed at the historic award-winning Garde Arts Center on State Street in New London.
Visit ectsymphony.com for more information and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube) @ectsymphony. In addition to a range of affordable single-ticket options—from $65 to as low as $12—the ECSO offers those under 40 years of age and active or retired military members $12 tickets in selected sections.
Founded in 1946 by Norwegian immigrant Victor Norman, the ECSO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the eastern Connecticut region, including New London, Norwich, Waterford, Groton, Mystic, Old Lyme, and East Lyme. Recent concerts in Norwich, Willimantic, and Stonington reflect our renewed dedication to serving a broader area.
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and connect our communities through live orchestral music.