Dinner and a Whodunit at the Stone Castle Abbey

Saturday, April 5, 2025 6:00 p.m.

The murderous scene takes place at 1920’s symphony concert where the orchestra’s maestro is found dead, being stabbed with his baton! It promises to be a fun, interactive night, which includes a delicious dinner, in the unique setting of the Stone Castle.

Tickets for the dinner and mystery show are $50 per person.

Special business sponsorship packages are available. Please contact us at renovafestival@aol.com for more information on these sponsorships.

All proceeds will advance the educational mission of the Renova Music Festival.

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Final performance of the Renova Festival Orchestra

Haydn - Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Hob 1:2

Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 , ”Classical”

Mozart - Symphony No. 35, ” Haffner”

Tickets (Available At The Door) - $10 For Adults, $5 For Students

A performance of quartets and quintets by the pre-professional festival participants at the lovely Henry Banquet and Events Center in Downtown New Castle.

Tickets (Available At The Door) - $10 For Adults, $5 For Students

Featuring Faculty Artists

Wendy Case & Carol Chung, Violins; Simon Ertz, Viola; Mingyao Zhao, Cello; Kathryn Umble, Flute; Abby Held, Oboe; Margarite Waddell, Horn

Jan Bach - Four 2-bit Contraptions for Flute and Horn

JC Bach - Oboe Quartet in B-Flat, W B60

L. Cherubini - Sonata No. 2 for Horn and Strings

D. Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110

Tickets (Available At The Door) - $10 For Adults, $5 For Students

The Renova Festival chamber orchestra performs

Faure - Pavane

Mendelssohn - Midsummer Night’s Dream Incidental Music

Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin

Tickets (Available At The Door) - $10 For Adults, $5 For Students

Our student chamber groups will present familiar classics while you enjoy the wine offerings at Nova Cellars in Pulaski, PA.

This performance is Free and open to all.

Featuring faculty and guest artists

Victor Correa-Cruz, violin; Matt Pickart, Viola; Evan Drachman, Cello; Susan Nelson, Bassoon; with guest pianist Nanette Kaplan Solomon

Program to include:

Steinmetz - Love song for Bassoon and Cello

Escalzo - Argenta for Bassoon and Piano

Boccherini - Trio in A Major, G. 107

Faure - Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor

Tickets (available at the door) - $10 for adults, $5 for Students

Join our Music Director Joshua Zona for a relaxed and informative preview of the concerts that will be performed at this year’s Renova Music Festival. The event will take place at the New Castle Public Library’s Copernicus Room.

Refreshments will be provided and questions are welcome.

The event is free and open to he public.

See you there!

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Final performance of the Renova Festival Orchestra with Soprano Sarah Nadler

Rossini - “Barber of Seville” Overture

Arias from “The Marriage of Figaro”

Mendelssohn Symphony No . 4, “Italian”

A performance of quartets and quintets by the young artist festival participants in the relaxed atmosphere of The Confluence coffee shop in downtown New Castle.

Featuring Faculty Artists

Carol Chung, Violin, Kathryn Umble, Flute, Leah Forsyth, Oboe, Sara Petokas, Horn

J.S Bach - Prelude from Cello Suite in C Major

F.J. Haydn - Divertimento in C Major

Amram - Blues and Variations for Monk for Solo Horn

Grazyna Bacewicz - Trio for Oboe, Violin, and Cello

Handel-Halvorsen - Passacaglia

Our participant chamber orchestra performs

A. Honneger - Pastorale d’ete

R. Strauss - Serenade for Winds, op. 7

Judy Bruce - “Waves” for String Orchestra (World Premiere)

W.A. Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G minor

Our student chamber groups will present familiar classics while you enjoy the wine offerings at Nova Cellars in Pulaski, PA.

Featuring faculty and gusts artists

Wendy Case, Violin; Taylor Shea, Viola; Evan Drachman, Cello, Susan Nelson, Bassoon, and Nanette Kaplan Solomon, Piano

S. Rachmaninoff - Andante from Sonata in G Minor for cello and piano

B. Garfield - Quartet for Bassoon and Strings

J. Brahms - Piano Quartet in C Minor

A fun and informational session led by our Music Director Joshua Zona will give you everything you wanted to know about the music that will be performed on our 2023 festival concerts.

Coffee, Tea, Wine, and Treats are also on the menu.

This event is free and open to all.

Featuring Faculty Artists Karen Strittmater Galvin , Violin; Taylor Shea, viola; and Paula Tuttle, cello

Mozart - Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat, K 404a

Reger - String Trio No. 2, Op 141b

Featuring faculty and gusts artists

Wendy Case and Carol Chung, Violin; Kimberly Sparr, Viola; Evan Drachman, Cello, and Nanette Kaplan Solomon, Piano

L. van Beethoven - String Quartet, Op 18, No.6

Amy Beach - Piano Quintet, Op. 67

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Final performance of the Renova Festival Orchestra

Including Dvorak - String Serenade in E Major, op. 22

A performance of quartets and quintets by the young artist festival participants in the relaxed atmosphere of The Confluence coffee shop in downtown New Castle.

Repertoire, TBA

EVENT POSTPONED. Keep watching for a reschedule date this fall!

“Hitting the Right Notes with Cool Jazz, Hot Pops, and Brews”

Join us for a night of food, music and a special beer selection (cash bar) at the Crane Room in New Castle. Live music from jazz standards to blues and more will be provided by The Rich Harper Band, Nanette Solomon with Janice Coppola, and the Renova Festival Jazz Group let by Tom Zumpella.

Tickets are available for $35 at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hitting-the-right-notes-with-hot-jazz-cool-pops-and-brews-tickets-98481307241

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Final performance of the Renova Festival Orchestra including Rossini - The Barber of Seville Overture, Schumann - Manfred, and Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"

Hoyt Center for the Arts 

Faculty Performers

Joseph Kromholz, violin; Evan Drachman, cello; Kathryn Umble, flute; Susan Nelson, Bassoon and guest pianist Nanette Solomon

Including Dvorak - PianoTrio; Chick Correa - Trio for Flute, Bassoon. and Piano; Martinu - La revue de cuisine

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Including Handel - Suite from Water Music and more

Festival string quartets providing sweet entertainment at Sweet Jeanie's ice cream shop in downtown Grove City, PA. 

More about Sweet Jeanie's

Northminster Presbyterian Church, New Castle

Faculty performers

Ken Long, clarinet; Petrea Warneck Oboe; Joshua Zona, Horn; Naha Greenholtz, violin; Timothy Deighton, Viola; Lynn Kabat, cello 

Including  Schubert -String Trio D 581; Irving Fine - Partita for Wind Quintet; Martinu - Nonetto 

A performance of quartets and quintets by the young artist festival participants in the relaxed atmosphere of The Confluence coffee shop in downtown New Castle.

Northminster Presbyterian Church

Faculty Performers

Joseph Kromholz, violin; Evan Drachman, cello; Kathryn Umble, flute; Petrea Warneck, oboe and gust pianist Nanette Solomon

Including Arensky Piano Trio and a "Tecate" for Violin and Piano by Judy Bruce

Villa Maria Community Center - Magnificat Chapel

Francaix - Seven Dances

Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings

Sibelius - Peleas and Melisande

Northminster Presbyterian Church, New Castle

Faculty performers

Ken Long, clarinet; Susan Nelson, bassoon; Naha Greenholtz, violin; Luke Fleming, viola; Lynn Kabat, cello with guest pianist Nanette Solomon and oboist Shawn Reynolds

Including Schumann - Piano Quartet, Ibert - Woodwind Trio and more!