Thursday, March 21, 2013

The new website is live!

Hello to all of the Symphony community! 

We had our Concerto Competition last Saturday, which was won by Henry Belcaster from Oak Park.  He will perform Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Symphony on Sunday May 19.  Also on that program will be famous orchestral hits:  Finlandia, The Moldau, Les Preludes, and Bolero.  What a program!

But before that concert, don't forget Spring Rhapsody on Sunday April 21.  Pianist Mio Nakamura will make her third appearance with us.  You may remember her from her performances of the Tchaikovsky First Concerto and the Liszt Totentanz.  This time she will perform the Rachmaninov Variations on a Theme of Paganini.  This is a truly inventive piece, in which the composer takes the famous Paganini Caprice and does all kinds of stuff with it, including turning it upside down and slowing it down into the beautiful and famous 24th variation.  But there are all sorts of other great variations, including a combination with Dies Irae (just like in Totentanz!).  Along with Mio will be Beethoven's Eighth Symphony and the Die Fledermaus (The Bat!) Overture.   The overall mood of this concert will be light-hearted and cheerful -- perfect for spring (if it ever comes this year!).  Beethoven himself loved his 8th -- he must have had a lot of fun writing it.  Come and see (and hear!).  We will have a Preview of this concert at the Arts Center, 200 N Oak Park in Oak Park on Wed night prior to the concert (April 17) at 7:30.  This will be a free open rehearsal.  There will be a good will offering for the Animal Care League.  And refreshments...........