Enrique Diemecke conductor • Abdiel Vazquez piano
DEFALLA Nights in the Gardens of Spain
MEHNDELSSOHN A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Manuel de Falla's composition originally began as a set of nocturnes for solo piano, which evolved into a piano and orchestra piece. This work depicts three gardens in three movements: In the Generalife, A Distant Dance, and In the Gardens de la Sierra de Córdoba. Next, we spin the globe to land in Athens with Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, inspired by the Shakespeare play of the same name. This work features a popular overture and the famous "Wedding March."
Concert Sponsors: Dr. Cathy O. Blight and Edward Davison
Guest Artist Sponsors: Jay and Marilyn Nelson
Preferred Steinway Performance Sponsors: Dr. Brenda Fortunate and C. Edward White
Enrique Diemecke conductor • Amy Ley harp
DEBUSSY Danses sacree et profane
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, op. 68, F Major (Pastorale)
Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane, a solo piece for harp and orchestra, features two contrasting dances that evoke a mystical and spiritual natural world. Beethoven's beloved Pastoral Symphony is a jaunt through the Austrian countryside.
Concert Sponsors: The Rabinkov Family, Dr. Stuart and Kathy Weiner
Guest Artist Sponsors: Dr. Frederick and Gloria VanDuyne
Enrique Diemecke conductor • Alessio Bax piano
COPLAND Appalachian Spring: Suite
GRIEG Piano Concerto, op. 16, A Minor
Aaron Copland is known for creating a quintessential sound reminiscent of the American Frontier. Appalachian Spring paints a vivid picture of the American west, including the Shaker song "Simple Gifts. Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor is the only concerto he ever completed, yet remains one of the most popular piano concerti of all time.
Concert Sponsor: McLaren-Flint
Guest Artist Sponsors: James and Patt Spangler
Preferred Steinway Performance Sponsors: Dr. Brenda Fortunate and C. Edward White
Special Guest conductor • Patti Austin vocalist • Joined by FSO Musicians
Remember and reflect on the brilliant stylings of the First Lady of Song in this jazzy pops tribute.
Patti Austin vocalist
Grammy award-winning Patti Austin has performed and recorded with Paul Simon, Michael Jackson, and George Benson, among others. In 2002 she released For Ella, featuring 11 of Ella's most popular songs and an original tribute song. Patti holds an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music.
BCO Concert Sponsors:
Bruin Club of Genesee County, Elga Credit Union, Hamilton Community Health Clinic, Mott Community College, Mr. & Mrs. Dallas C. Dort
Enrique Diemecke conductor • Judy Wu violin
SMETANA Symphony No. 2
VIVALDI Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)
GINASTERA Estancia: Three Dances
The program opens with The Moldau, Smetana's symphonic poem following the mighty Vlatva River's flow. Four Seasons, the best known of Vivaldi's works, is a group of four violin concerti written about Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Ginastera's Estancia transports the listener to the Argentinian countryside, complete with riding gauchos (skilled horsemen) and farmers tending the land.
*Family Day Concert
Concert Sponsors: Drs. Paul and Barbara Adams, Dr. Kenneth and Nancy Lee Fawcett, Drs. Venkat & Rama Rao, Carolyn Stubbs and Susan Schneberger, William Hentgen
Guest Artist Sponsor: The Chan Family
Enrique Diemecke conductor • Brandon LePage flute
IBERT Flute Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1, op. 13, G Minor (Winter Daydreams)
Jacques Ibert's Flute Concerto was written in 1933 for celebrated French flutist Marcel Moyse. Ibert sought to showcase the flute's individual and characteristic qualities, from virtuosic running passages to tender, lyrical melodies and jazzy syncopations. Winter Dreams is a celebration of the romance of Winter. The music conjures a sled over fresh snow on a brisk winter morning, the warmth of a fireplace, and even a hint of spring from the flute's birdcalls.
Concert Sponsor: Anonymous Donor #16
Guest Artist Sponsors: Howard and Rita Shand
Enrique Diemecke conductor • FSO Percussion Section
CHAVEZ Toccata for Percussion
RESPIGHI Gli Uccelli (The Birds)
STRAVINSKY The Firebird: Suite
Toccata for Percussion is a melodic, textural, and colorful composition that harkens to the root of the toccare, or "to touch." Chávez's piece displays the individual touch an artist can put on any given performance. Ottorino Respighi attempted to transcribe birdsong into musical notation for his piece The Birds. Close your eyes and observe the beauty and quirkiness of a colorful aviary filled with feathered friends. Stravinsky's Firebird is an inventive, virtuosic use of orchestral colors and abrupt, repetitive rhythms that take audiences on an unprecedented sound journey. The Firebird story draws characters from several Russian folklore sources; however, the Firebird itself is a magical creature who ultimately saves the hero from peril.
Concert Sponsors: Jean Craig Flynn, Tom Glasscock and Helen Bas, Mrs. Linda LeMieux, Drs. Bobby and Nita Mukkamala, Dr. Mark and Genie Plucer, David and Heidi Wharton
Guest Artist Sponsor: The Nartel Family Foundation