Festival Chamber Orchestra

Mozart had achieved rockstar status in Prague, thanks to the adoration bestowed there upon The Marriage of Figaro. He was, therefore, happy to have the nickname “Prague” attached to this symphony at its premiere in that city. It’s a masterpiece, full of sparkling virtuosity, celebration, drama, and humor. The concert opens with the piece that defines the quintessential American Sound: Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, composed originally as the score to Martha Graham’s ballet of the same name.

Beethoven’s “Heroic” symphony transformed the genre. It was more massive, ambitious, and innovative than any music that had been written before. In many ways, it represents the turning point from classical to romantic music. Heroism, despair, mourning and triumph are just some of the emotions represented in a piece that uses rhythm and a driving force as an equal partner to melody. Reflecting on “Eroica,” Leonard Bernstein marveled at “the mysterious genius of a man who is capable of uniting all contradictions into one single, perfect entity.” 

For opening night, George Li, one of the most sought-after young pianists on the scene today, tackles one of the greatest piano concertos ever written. Filled with joy, beauty, and heartbreaking tenderness, this is not the stomping and thrashing-about Beethoven of caricature. From the rising “fountains” of piano in the opening moments, to the ever-so-soft transition from the second into the final movement, the romance of this piece distances it from its classical predecessors. The season opens with the Star Spangled Banner, of course, followed by Jesse Montgomery’s Banner, a rhapsody on the theme of its famous predecessor.

Tchaikovsky’s theme and variations in a Rococo style is one of the most performed cello concertos in the repertoire. The composer himself defined “Rococo” as “a carefree feeling of well-being.” It’s a warm-hearted, gracious, and charming work, featuring Amos Yang, the Festival’s own Principal Cello, as soloist. Mozart fans will love Schubert’s fifth symphony, an uplifting piece full of jaunty and light melodies, any one of which you’re likely to find yourself humming on the way home.