Photo by P. J. Barbour
James Ross leads the NOI Philharmonic in jovial works that visit the varied roots of each composer.. Quinn Mason's festive Toast of the Town is written in the style of a lighthearted operetta and is tuneful and charming in its writing. György Ligeti's Romanian Concerto is inspired by folk music echoing from his childhood in the central Romanian region of Transylvania. Trailblazing composer Florence Price's Piano Concerto in One Movement brings forth virtuosic dialogue between soloist and orchestra with nods to traditional spirituals and the historic African-American juba dance that originated in Central Africa and moved with the enslaved to American plantations. Joining James Ross and the NOI Philharmonic for the concerto is pianist Natalia Kazaryan. Hailing from Tbilisi, Georgia, Natalia is committed to performing works by women composers, curating all-women programs at prestigious area venues including Washington D.C.'s Portrait Gallery and The Kennedy Center. Also adopting a folkloric character, Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 3 combines traditional Finnish sonorities with a hymn-like and triumphant conclusion that departs from the composer’s earlier symphonies.
Program:
Quinn Mason: Toast of the Town - Overture for Orchestra
György Ligeti: Romanian Concerto
Florence Price: Piano Concerto in One Movement
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52