The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its “Season Reimagined” on November 5, performing works by celebrated European composers for both in-person and virtual audiences.
The 7:30 PM concert at the Church of God in Easton, MD, includes Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D Major and Concerto in G for Two Mandolins; Anton Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky; and Bela Bartok’s Divertimento for String Orchestra. Guests soloists are internationally acclaimed guitarists Thomas Viloteau and Alexandra Viloteau.
“As we continue our reimagined Season of Strings, we are pleased to present orchestral compositions and transcriptions that showcase our talented string players,” said Music Director Julien Benichou. “We also are delighted to welcome our guest artists, who will add flair to the Vivaldi concerti.”
Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Tickets to view the concert livestream are $15. Both in-person and virtual tickets include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through November 12.
The Lute Concerto in D Major, written for two violins, bass, and lute, is now most frequently played on the guitar. It exhibits a clarity of form, harmonic treatment , and rhythmic and melodic vitality – features that make Vivaldi’s music so attractive.
The Concerto in G for Two Mandolins was discovered in Turin, Italy in 1926. Like the Lute Concerto, it is often played on the guitar, with its various polyphonic segments demonstrating the technical skills of the soloists.
The Variations on a Theme is a string orchestra transcription of the slow movement of Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 2. The music is rhythmic, melodic, and very satisfying, with all instruments active continuously throughout the work.
Bartok completed the Divertimento for String Orchestra in 1939 on commission from the Basel Chamber Orchestra. The music appears to be written in the fashion of a concerto grosso, with the concertmaster, first second violin and first viola, cello and bass forming a group that often complements individually or as a whole the rest of the orchestra.
An accomplished soprano and passionate educator as well as an acclaimed guitarist, Alexandra Viloteau earned a Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma in Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University. At Peabody, she double-majored in classical guitar and classical voice, the only student in the Conservatory’s 157-year history to do so.
Thomas Viloteau has reshaped the term “classical” guitar into something new, alive, and forward-thinking. He is the only guitarist to win the Arthur Foote Award from the Harvard Musical Association, in 2016, and the following year was named Artist in Residence for the radio program Performance Today. Viloteau received his bachelor’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, his master’s from the University of Arizona and his doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. He is on the Peabody Conservatory faculty.
In-person or livestream tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, email [email protected] or call 888-846-8600.
In addition to the November 5 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s 2020-2021 season includes the popular “Holiday Joy” program on December 3, 2020, and concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31.
The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.
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