November performance features Copland, Brahms
Guest conductor JoAnn Falletta will lead the Akron Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring Copland and Brahms on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. at E.J. Thomas Hall. The program begins with Bacchus and Ariadne, by Albert Roussel, before turning to Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and Symphony No. 2 by Brahms.
Copland’s Clarinet Concerto was commissioned by “The King of Swing,” Benny Goodman, in the 1940s. Copland composed much of the piece during a trip to Rio de Janeiro and the sounds of both North and South American popular music can be heard throughout the work. The concerto will feature soloist and three time Grammy winner Todd Levy, who is Principal Clarinet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 was also written away from the composer’s homeland. Of the lovely Carinthian hills in southern Austria where Brahms was staying, he wrote that “so many melodies fly about, one must be careful not to tread on them.” The setting must have worked its magic, because the energetic, melodic symphony was composed quickly in a single summer.
November’s concert will be guest conducted by JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center and Artistic Advisor of the Hawaii Symphony. A recipient of many of the most prestigious conducting awards, Falletta has guest conducted over 100 orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
Prices for single tickets start at $25 for adults and $12.50 for students. For more information on the program or to purchase tickets, visit www.akronsymphony.org or call 330-535-8131.
The Akron Symphony thanks its sponsors, including media partners 89.7FM WKSU and Akron Life, Previews from the Podium sponsor, Audio-Technica, and the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund Akron Symphony concerts with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. A complete list of sponsors may be found on the group’s website.
