To experience the grand sweep of large-scale orchestral works, join us for the CU Symphony Orchestraās diverse and challenging program on Nov. 30.
Doctoral studentĢżJonathan Morris, Honors Competition winner.
āEvery year, we feature undergraduate and graduate winners of the Honors Competition,ā says Director of Orchestral Studies Gary Lewis. āThis yearās graduate winnerāāchose Prokofievās third piano concerto, which is quite demanding for the orchestra.
āOf course, the added benefit of Jonathanās selection is that itās truly a masterworkāitās therefore important for our students to play.ā Indeed, Sergei Prokofievās popular Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 leaves quite a footprint, programmatically; so much so that it comprises the entire second half of the concert.
āWe built the program around the concerto,ā continues Lewis. āTo contrast and complement Prokofiev, weāre really honored to open the concert with the world premiere of Carter Pannās colorful āTiny Bolero.āā According to Lewis, Pannās new work āmaintains bolero rhythms and patterns, and engages all aspects of the orchestra.ā
Rounding out the wide-ranging program is āEn sagaā (āA Fairy Taleā). Composed in 1892 by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, the loose-knit, generally dark-hued tone poem will be conducted by graduate student Cynthia Katsarelis.
āItās a work that connects to the College of Musicās Finnish celebration,ā Lewis explains. The chamber music version of āEn sagaā was recently performed here and at the Finnish Embassy in Washington, DC; the CU Symphony will render the full orchestral version.
Late in life, Sibelius himself said of the work, āāEn sagaā is an expression of a state of mind. I had undergone a number of painful experiences at the time and in no other work have I revealed myself so completely.ā
Delve into these musical mysteries and masterpieces when the CU Symphony performs on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Macky Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public. To browse more upcoming symphony concerts, visit .
