By Liz Leamy
This past June, the Greens at Greenwich kicked off the 2023 summer season in fine style with its popular annual outdoor concert featuring the Evanescent Quartet, a renowned New York City-based contingent who entertained the 70-plus crowd of spectators there with their terrific musical acumen.
Performing classical selections by Wolfgang Mozart and Joseph Haydn, along with contemporary pieces such as ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by George Gershwin and ‘It’s a Wonderful World,’ the song famously sung by Louis Armstrong, this string quartet helped make this event a remarkable one in all regards.
Certainly, in seeing all the smiles on the faces of those in attendance, this event was a rousing success, something that the Greens figureheads seemed to be especially excited about.
“These musicians just amaze me with their talent and they’re always on the mark. Their talent is just phenomenal and they bring such joy to everyone with their music,” said Maria Scaros, Executive Director of the Greens at Greenwich. “The music and also the ambiance here is incredible. The residents are able to enjoy something with their families and friends that is very special and very different and they deserve that.”
In addition to the music, spectators, who included residents of the Greens, their friends and families as well as healthcare professionals along with the organization’s staff members and directors, enjoyed a buffet of chicken quesadillas, shrimp, grilled vegetables, roast beef sliders, petit fours and other goodies, along with an array of cold refreshments.
“It was a beautiful event. We loved spending time with our family and enjoying the wonderful, talented musicians play. The food was also fabulous,” said Susan Fitzpatrick Wexler who grew up in Greenwich and lives in Rye, New York and was there with her mother, Susan, a resident of the Greens and Thomas Fitzpatrick, her brother who is from Pittsburgh. “My mom really enjoyed it and loved coming together with her family and friends.”
Others agreed.
“The show was great and the music was beautiful,” said Norman, a resident at the Greens at Greenwich. “The best part was to sit outdoors and the weather was good.”
For the musicians, the concert was a fulfilling experience as well.
“I believe this is a wonderful opportunity to perform and to have music come to [residents of the Greens] instead of them coming to us or the venues,” said Umani Teraoka, a member of the Evanescent Quartet. “I’m also mesmerized by the view of nature here. Beethoven, for example, was inspired by the woods, the forest and nature and being able to perform, especially outdoors, is a wonderful opportunity to be one with nature and also have the ability to experience that with the audience members as well.”
The Greens at Greenwich is located at 1155 King Street and is an award-winning assisted living and retirement community that specializes in memory care that offers its residents a full range of daily living amenities and activities with 24-hour service.
For Scaros, it’s about making every effort possible to provide the residents at the Greens of Greenwich with an optimal experience.
“The arts are everything and it’s a big part of what we are about here,” said Scaros. “As people, in situations when we may not have the language to be able to share our feelings and thoughts, the arts are a way to express ourselves and how we feel.”
This event represents one of two musical concerts the Greens at Greenwich holds each summer for its residents and community members, with the next one, an outdoor jazz presentation, scheduled to be held in July.
“We want to do everything possible to provide a wonderful experience for our residents,” said Scaros. “They deserve the best of everything.”
For more information, contact:
The Greens at Greenwich, 1155 King Street, Greenwich, CT 06831
203-489-2258
