The Westchester Phil's duet

When it comes to the arts, New Rochelle's David Tobey (right) is twice-blessed. Not only is he a painter and a sculptor, he's also a longtime violinist with the Westchester Philharmonic.

Now Tobey — son of the late painter and illustrator Alton S. Tobey — is using his artistic talent to serve his musical one. Tomorrow through Nov. 22, he will present an exhibit and sale of more than 50 of his paintings, prints and sculptures from the last five years to benefit the Westchester Phil.

The show takes place at the BID Gallery 542 in New Rochelle. (BID stands for the city's Business Improvement District.) Half of the proceeds from the exhibit there will go to the orchestra, with those attending tomorrow's reception (5-9 p.m.) receiving a 10-percent discount on works purchased then.

This is not the first time Tobey has raised funds for the Philharmonic. He spearheaded an art auction this past spring that yielded more than $25,000.

It looks to be a good two weeks for the Phil. Next up is a pair of concerts (Nov. 21 and 22) that finds artistic director Itzhak Perlman re-teaming with Anthony McGill (left), principal clarinetist of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, with whom he performed John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" at President Barack Obama's inauguration. (Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Gabriela Montero completed the quartet.)

"It was absolutely wonderful," McGill says of the experience. And something of a challenge, given the cold temperatures and the fact that he had only found out about the program the day before the inauguration. (McGill, who had performed Olivier Messiaen's haunting "Quartet for the End of Time" with Yo-Yo Ma on a 2001 tour of Japan, got a call from one of the cellist's managers only a month prior to the inaugural event.)

"But we have to do what we have to do," McGill says in the best spirit of performance. For the clarinetist, that means teaching, playing in The Met Orchestra and taking on solo and chamber work. With the Westchester Phil, he'll be the soloist for Mozart's charming Clarinet Concerto in A Major, a gig that resulted from playing with Perlman for the first time at the inauguration.

"It's one of Mozart's masterpieces," McGill says of the work, a favorite of WQXR (105.9 FM). "Mozart wrote it late in life, and it has all of his maturity — operatic touches, a beautiful slow movement and the light, bouncy quality of his scherzandos."

Supporting singers in an opera orchestra is quite different from being the divo in front of the house. But whether you're a soloist or a supporting player, McGill says, "you're always part of the orchestra.

"To play with Itzhak Perlman and his orchestra is going to be awesome. I know I'm going to be playing with great musicians."

Tickets for the McGill concerts are limited and can be snatched up by calling 914-682-3707. For more information, log on to www.westchesterphil.org.

For more on David Tobey, check out his Web site, www.davidtobey.com.

Photos of McGill and Tobey appear courtesy of the Westchester Philharmonic.