PHOTO: Arpit Patel, Dante Capasso and Glenn Rosengard have been appointed to the Charles River Chamber Board of Directors. Courtesy Photos
Editor’s note: Newsmakers is a regular feature spotlighting accomplishments of Newton community members, businesses and organizations.
New Philharmonia names new music director
The New Philharmonia, a 75-member regional orchestra that’s been making music for 30 years, has named Jorge Soto as new music director.
Soto is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist and has built a music career in both North and South America. He served as the associate conductor of New Philharmonia for several years before being named principal conductor in 2020.
In 2023, Soto became principal conductor of the United Nations Festival Orchestra for Hope. He;s also the principal guest conductor of the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra in Worcester.
“Both the board and Jorge share a vision for the New Philharmonia to continue finding new ways to raise our quality of musicianship and increase our connectedness within the community,” John Tarrh, board chair. “We’re looking forward to having a very exciting 30th season starting this fall. I invite you all to come and experience the excitement and passion of live orchestral music here in the City of Newton.”
Charles River Regional Chamber appoints three new board members
Arpit Patel and Dante Capasso, two Newton business owners, and Glenn Rosengard of Eastern Bank have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Charles River Regional Chamber.
Patel owns Baramor, a restaurant on Union Street, and Oak n’ Barrel, a liquor and wine store in Newton Centre.
Patel worked at Wellington Asset Management before opening Baramor in 2018 amd Oak n’ Barrel in 2023. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management.
Capasso has served as its managing director of family-owned Capasso Realty, a real estate development and management firm with properties in Newton and Waltham, since 2020.
Capasso previously worked for John Hancock Investments and Edward Jones and graduated from Marist College.
Rosengard has worked for Eastern Bank since 1997 and currently serves as the Eastern Bank Region 7 area manager in charge of six branches in Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Needham, Newton and Wellesley.
He graduated from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University and is founder and president of the Risa S. Rosengard Foundation, a foundation that raised funds for 17 years to provide grants to nonprofit public charity organizations that assist families coping with life-threatening illness or loss.
Centre Street Food Pantry gets grant from Greater Boston Food Bank
Centre Street Food Pantry, a nonprofit organization in Newton Centre that helps feed families in need from throughout the region, has received a $9,525 community investment grant from The Greater Boston Food Bank.
The money will be used for new refrigerators, the organization announced recently, and to help its “No Child Hungry” campaign, in which Centre Street Food Pantry is providing clients with children an additional bag of food suitable for children’s lunches.
“The Greater Boston Food Bank’s community investment grant will help Centre Street give children fresh food for lunch this summer,” said Rose Saia, Executive Director of Centre Street Food Pantry. “We know that many families with children need and appreciate this healthy food, and we’re grateful that we have the support of Greater Boston Food Bank and all the generous donors to our No Child Hungry Summer campaign who make it possible for us to reduce food insecurity in the six communities we serve.”
