Tag Archives: Felix Mendelssohn

Final ASO River Rhapsodies concert tonight. Mendelssohn, Mozart & Brahms on the program

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ASO_revThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor, presents the final concert of the 2014-2015 Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series: Mendelssohn, Mozart, & Brahms. The ASO’s Quapaw and Rockefeller String Quartets and other ASO musicians perform chamber music from Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Brahms on April 21, 2015 at 7:00 PM in the beautiful Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR.

A cash bar is open at 6 PM and at intermission, and patrons are invited to carry drinks into the hall. Media sponsor for the Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series is KUAR/KLRE.

Tickets are $23; active duty military and student tickets are $10 are can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Clinton Presidential Center box office beginning 60 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100.

ARTISTS:
Quapaw Quartet: Eric Hayward, Meredith Maddox Hicks, Katrina Weeks, David Gerstein
Rockefeller Quartet: Katherine Williamson, Trisha McGovern, Katherine Reynolds, Daniel Cline
Andrew Irvin, violin
Ryan Mooney, viola
Rafael Leon, cello
Leanna Booze, oboe

PROGRAM
MENDELSSOHN: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80
MOZART: Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370
BRAHMS: Strings Quintet in G, Op. 111

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 49th season in 2014-2015, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue (Jeans) in 2015-16 Arkansas Symphony Masterworks Series

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Under the baton of Maestro Philip Mann, the 2015-2016 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks series features a lineup with something old, something new, something borrowed and jeans that are blue.

The borrowed is the location. For the second of two seasons, the Maumelle Performing Arts Center will be the Masterworks home.

The new includes a World Premiere of D.J. Sparr’s Concerto for Jazz Guitar, which will feature Ted Ludwig.  Another new selection is Scott McAllister’s Black Dog which is based in hard rock.

Among the old friends returning are pieces by Grieg, Dvorák, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Borodin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Stravinsky, Brahms, Shostakovich and Bernstein.

The season kicks off with Grieg’s Piano Concerto on September 26 & 27. The guest artist that weekend is pianist Jon Kimura Parker.  The concert will include Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides, Op. 26 “Fingal’s Cave,” Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 and Borodin’s Symphony No. 2 in B minor.

Next is Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 on October 17 & 18. Imre Palló will be the guest conductor, and Cicely Parnas, cello will be the featured artist. The program will include Kodály’s Dances of Galanta; Haydn’s Concerto for Cello in C Major; and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88.

The annual Beethoven and Blue Jeans concert will be November 7 & 8 featuring guest artist Kelly Johnson, clarinet.  The lineup will feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93; McAllister’s Black Dog; and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a.

2016 will start with Firebird Suite and featured soloist Kiril Laskarov. On January 30 & 31 the program will include Rossini’s La gazza ladra: Overture; Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Visconti’s Black Bend and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite (1919).

February 27 & 28 the program is Bernstein and Brahams.  The concert will have Bernstein’s Chicester Psalms and the Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem. 

The 2015-2016 season will wrap up on April 9 & 10 with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The concerts will include Bernstein’s Candide Overture; Sparr’s Concerto for Jazz Guitar and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47. 

Lineup announced for the Arkansas Symphony 2015-2016 Landers Fiat River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series

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ASO_2-colorThe Arkansas Symphony is still going strong in their 2014-2015 season. There are still concerts remaining in each of the Symphony’s series.

The lineup for next season’s Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Series has recently been announced.  All concerts in this series take place at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall and start at 7pm.

Artist of Disinction: Jon Kimura Parker
September 29, 2015
Borodin – String Quartet No. 2 in D Major
Hirtz – Wizard of Oz Fantasy
Beethoven – Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16
Anniversary of a Violin
October 27
Mozart – Sonata for Violin and Piano
Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 122
Merry Pranks
November 17
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel – einmal anders
Vaughn Williams – Quintet in D Major
Beethoven – Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
Mozart & Mendelssohn
February 2
Dohnányi – Sextet in C Major, Op. 37
Mozart – String Quartet in A Major, K. 169
Mendelssohn – Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66
Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 10
Prokofiev – Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56
Beethoven – String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4
Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G
Mendelssohn – String Symphony No. 10 in B minor
Brahms and Dvořák
Brahms – Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 101
Bartok – String Quartet No. 4
Dvořák- String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105

Free ASO concert at Capital Hotel tonight with Rockefeller Quartet

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ASO at CH

Musicians from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will be performing this evening in the lobby of the historic Capital Hotel. The music will start at 5:15 pm.

The concert will feature the Rockefeller Quartet.  Members of the quartet will introduce the pieces to be performed.

  • Haydn: String Quartet No. 39 in F#, Op. 50 No. 4: Andante and Minuet
  • Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80 Allegro, Vivace Assai and Allegro Assai
  • Monti: Csardas
  • McLean: “Fandango”

Unlike concerts in music halls, guests here are encouraged to bring drinks to their seats or to stand and move around while the musicians are playing.  It is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where the audience and musicians alike are able to interact with each other.

In 2011, the ASO started these free concerts in the lobby of the Capital Hotel.  The marble and tile of this historic lobby provide a wonderful acoustic backdrop for the musicians.

The 2014-2015 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Series

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ASO_revThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is still very busy with several concerts of all types in the 2013-2014 season. Looking ahead to next year, here is the lineup for the 2014-2015 Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Series.

The series kicks off on September 30 with “Death and the Maiden.”  The evening features Bridge’s 3 Idylls, Brahms’ Trio in Eb for horn, violin, piano and Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor “Death and the Maiden.”

The next month, on October 21, the program is entitled “Quartet for the End of Time.”  It will features Haydn’s String Quartet No. 39 in F# Op. 50 No. 4 and Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps. (When translated into English, the latter piece gives its name to the program.)

Italian Serenade is the name of the November 11 program.  It features Beethoven’s String Quartet in C, Op. 59, No. 3, Corigliano’s String Quartet No. 1 and Wolf’s Italian Serenade in G.

The 2015 portion of the season will commence on February 10 with Mozart’s “Gran Partita” Serenade. The program features Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 in E minor “From My Life” and Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 in Bb “Gran Partita”.

The March 3 concert features Artist of Distinction: Vadim Gluzman.  The program will include Dohnanyi’s Serenade in C, Op. 10, Berg’s The Featherlight Ballet, Auerbach’s Lonely Suite “Ballet for a Lonely Violinist” and Bruch’s String Quartet in A minor.

The 2014-2015 season will conclude on April 21. That evening will features Mendelssohn’s String Quaret in F minor, Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major and Brahms’ String Quintet in G.

All concerts are presented at the Clinton Presidential Center in the Great Hall. The concerts start at 7pm. Tickets are generally available at the door, but to be guaranteed a seat, advance purchase is recommended.

ASO announces River Rhapsodies for 2012-2013

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On the heels of the recent announcement of the 2012-2013 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra MasterWorks and Pops series, the ASO has unveiled next season’s River Rhapsodies Chamber Series.

It will kick off on October 2 when Augustin Hadelich will perform.  He will be featured on September 29 and 30 with the MasterWorks series as the Richard Sheppard Arnold Artist of Distinction.  Joining him on the program will be the Quapaw String Quartet, the Rockefeller String Quartet and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  The works to be performed include Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2; Webern’s Langsamer Satz; Yasye’s Violin Sonata in d minor, No. 3 “Ballade” and Tchaikovsky’s Sextet, Op. 70 “Souvenir de Florence.”

Appropriately the second concert of the series is entitled Duos.  On October 30, the concert will feature David Gerstein, cello; Andrew Irvin, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola; Ryan Mooney, viola; Geoffrey Robson, violin and Barron Weir, contrabass.  The program will feature Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola; Rossini’s Duetto for Cello and Bass; Bridge’s Lament for Two Violas and Kodaly’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.

On November 13, the concert is entitled Masterworks and will feature the Quapaw String Quartet, Louis Menendez on piano and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  They will perform Ravel’sPiano Trio in a minor and Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 130 and Op. 133.

The Rockefeller String Quartet’s 10th anniversary will be highlighted in the fourth concert of the series.  They will perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44 No. 1; Glass’s String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Composer of the Year Jennifer Higdon will be featured on February 26, 2013.  The musicians performing that night will be David Gerstein, cello; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Kiril Laskarov, violin; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Meredith Maddox-Hicks; violin; Diane McVinney, flute; David Renfro, horn; Tatiana Roitman, piano and Beth Wheeler, oboe. The musical selections include Barber’s Summer Music; Higdon’s Piano Trio and Autumn Music and Shostokovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67.

Spring in Little Rock will be celebrated with Appalachian Spring on April 16.  A host of musicians will play a program including Crumb’s Voice of the Whale; Debussy’s Sonate en trio for Flute, Viola and Harp; Higdon’s Amazing Grace and Copland’s Appalachian Spring.  The performers will be Carl Anthony, piano; Carolyn Brown, flute; Daniel Cline and David Gerstein, cello; Alisa Coffey, harp; Leanne Day-Simpson, Eric Hayward, Andrew Irvin and Kiril Laskarov, violin; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Ryan Mooney and Katherine Reynolds, viola and Barron Weir, contrabass.

The concerts will take place at 7pm at the Clinton Presidential Center.  Philip Mann is the music director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.