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Reported by: Web Producer @ tristatehomepage.com
Friday, Jan 22, 2010 @07:52am CST
Evansville - As part of its 75th Anniversary "Bridging Generations" celebration, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra will feature past and present conductors and concertmasters during its "Family Reunion Concert" on Saturday, January 23 at 7:30 pm at the Victory Theatre. During this extraordinary event programmed by current Music Director Alfred Savia, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra will present all of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in one concert for the first time. Each season will showcase a former EPO concertmaster. Former music director Stewart Kershaw also returns to guest conduct a few works on the evening's program.
Immediately prior to the concert on Saturday night, Maestro Alfred Savia will host "Concert Conversations", an informal discussion about the evening's program, starting at 6:45 p.m. All ticket holders are invited to join Maestro Savia and Mr. Kershaw for an enlightening talk about the pieces.
The concert begins with Brahms' Serenade in A, Movement V. Then, the Philharmonic's current concertmaster, Gared Crawford, takes the spotlight in Dvorak's Romance for Violin & Orchestra. During Vivaldi's Four Seasons, surtitles will be shown on a screen above the orchestra and the poems will also be provided in the program book.
The Philharmonic then starts the first of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, "La primavera" or "Spring", featuring former concertmaster John Macfarlane. Macfarlane was EPO concertmaster from 2003-2007 and is now Assistant Principal Second Violin at the Lyric Opera Orchestra in Chicago. Next, Michael Jinsoo Lim takes the stage to perform Vivaldi's "L'estate" or "Summer". Lim, recently named concertmaster of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra in Seattle, served as the EPO's concertmaster from 1995-2000.
Following intermission, former music director/conductor Stewart Kershaw will lead the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in Delius' On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring. Kershaw was music director of the Evansville Philharmonic for nine seasons from 1980-89 and was at the helm during the EPO's fiftieth anniversary season in 1984-1985. He recently retired from Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle after 25 years as Music Director and continues to lead the Auburn Symphony Orchestra (WA) which he founded in 1997.
Vivaldi's Four Seasons continue as violinist Delmar Pettys reunites with Kershaw and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra for "L'autunno" or "Autumn". Pettys served as the Philharmonic's concertmaster from 1977-1986, including the "Kershaw years". In 2008, he retired as Principal Second Violinist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and was recently appointed concertmaster of the Dallas Opera for the 2009-10 season.
Then, former concertmaster Brennan Sweet joins the orchestra under the direction of Maestro Alfred Savia for Vivaldi's "L'inverno" or "Winter". Sweet held the position of EPO concertmaster from 1989-1994 and was a founding member of the Evansville String Quartet. Sweet currently serves as Associate Concertmaster for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Sweet performs on the 1713 Antonio Stradivarius ex "Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria" violin from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Golden Age Collection.
The orchestra tops off the evening with Kodaly's spirited Galanta Dances and then the highlight of the evening includes all of the guest violinists engaging in a competitive tour de force in Rimsky-Korsakov's blazing Flight of the Bumblebee.
Information provided by a press release from Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.
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