June 2, 2023 – Against the Grain – Full Concert
June 2, 2023, 7:30 pm Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Raúl Gómez-Rojas, conductor
The season finale showcased Faust Overture by Emilie Mayer, an underappreciated contemporary of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Emilie challenged the expectations of female composers during her time, veering away from salon music in favor of grand form. Despite her eight symphonies and numerous overtures, the Faust Overture was the only work printed during her lifetime.
Wrapping up the 2022-23 season, MYS played Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story: Symphonic Dances, telling the iconic story of forbidden love and power struggles on the streets of upper west side New York in the 1960s. The narrative unfolds across nine interconnected pieces of music, including Prologue, ‘Somewhere,’ Scherzo, Mambo, Cha-Cha, Meeting Scene, ‘Cool’ Fugue, Rumble, and Finale.
Student composer Elaina Stuppler finished off this season’s lineup for the Authentic Voice Project with her piece addressing gun violence. This project provides aspiring composers with an opportunity to write and hear their work performed by MYS students, cultivating musical creativity in the next generation of musicians.
This show spotlighted two of the winners of MYS’ annual Concerto Competition. Co-winners of the Winds/Brass/Percussion/Piano category Amir Avsker and Cyrus Ngan performed Mozart Piano Concerto K. 466, Mov 3 and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, Mov 3, respectively. Held each January, with its winners showcased during the March and May shows alongside the Symphony Orchestra, this competition tests mastery of challenging and mature solo repertoire for strings, winds, brass, and percussion.
INTERLUDE ORCHESTRA Erica Boland, conductor
- Larry Clark’s Engines of Resistance
- Soon Hee Newbold’s Warrior Legacy
- Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Arr. Douglas E. Wagner).
A link to stream the concert will be emailed to the purchasers email address used at checkout.
$ 15.00