A Glittering Concert Concludes the RPO’s CMAC Summer Series
Rochester, NY – Audiences will be treated to a glittering Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert in which music and fireworks will illuminate the stage and the sky on Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the 1812 Overture with Fireworks and Cannons, the fourth and final concert of the RPO’s summer series at the Constellation-Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC). Conductor Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) will lead the orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from his popular early Broadway show “On the Town,” Ravel’s mesmerizing Bolero, the RPO premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s Flute Concerto performed by flute virtuoso and Buffalo native Carol Wincenc, and the spectacular conclusion with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with cannons and fireworks.
First Prize-winner of the Naumburg Flute Competition and one of the most respected and acclaimed flutists performing today, Buffalo native Carol Wincenc has appeared as soloist with major orchestras worldwide and has premiered works written for her by prominent composers including Gorecki’s Concerto-Cantata and Rouse’s Flute Concerto. The Telarc recording of this latter work won the Diapason d’Or prize. Additionally, she has commissioned and premiered concerti by Peter Schickele, Joan Tower, Paul Schoenfield and Tobias Picker, and has performed with the American Ballet Theater and the Houston Ballet in John Corigliano’s Pied Piper Concerto. Festival appearances include Aldeburgh, Aspen, Budapest, Caramoor, Frankfurt, Marlboro, Mostly Mozart, Santa Fe and Spoleto. A member of the New York Woodwind Quintet, she also has collaborated with the Guarneri, Emerson, Tokyo, and Cleveland string quartets, and performed with sopranos Jessye Norman and Elly Ameling, pianist Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. She teaches at the Juilliard School and SUNY Stony Brook.
Lowell Liebermann is one of America’s most frequently performed and commissioned composers. Referred to by the New York Times “as much of a traditionalist as an innovator,” Mr. Liebermann’s music is known for its technical command and audience appeal. BBC Music Magazine has described his Flute Concerto as “optimistic [with] tuneful melodies and glittering, dramatic climaxes,” adding that Liebermann is “a flutist’s dream composer.” The Flute Concerto was commissioned by James Galway who premiered it in 1992 with the St. Louis Symphony.
In 1943, during the height of World War II, the young dancer/choreographer Jerome Robbins brought an idea for a new ballet to composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein: three sailors on 24-hour shore-leave in New York City. The result was Fancy Free, a ballet that launched Bernstein’s composing career and inspired the subsequent musical comedy On the Town, setting the sailor’s amorous adventures against the backdrop of war. With music by Bernstein and book and lyrics by the hugely successful team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the 1944 musical became an instant hit. The Three Dance Episodes are “The Great Lover,” “Lonely Town” and “Times Square.”
Two decades earlier, another ballet was commissioned, this time from composer Maurice Ravel, to be called Fandango. While on holiday, Ravel developed a Spanish-sounding theme with a particularly insistent rhythm, and renamed it Boléro. The composer was firm in his direction that a steady tempo be maintained, and instead that the different orchestrations and varying textures work toward the gradual crescendo. In concert, Boléro became Ravel’s most popular work, reputed to be the world’s most frequently played piece of classical music.
Finally, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture was commissioned as a ceremonial overture to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon in 1812. The work was premiered in 1882 at the Moscow Exhibition and was an immediate success, although the composer found it “very loud and noisy.” In 1974, the Boston Pops began using it in a July 4th celebration, and ever since, it has become standard musical fare for that holiday.
CMAC tickets are $15-$50 in advance, $20-$55 at the gate. Discounts are available for seniors, students and children 12 and under. CMAC tickets are available at the RPO Box Office (585) 454-2100, online at www.rpo.org, through Ticket Express, or through Ticketmaster (585) 232-1900. Please note: CMAC summer tickets are NOT available at Wegmans. CMAC Box Office (Lincoln Hill Road, Canandaigua) will be open on concert days from noon to concert start, and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CMAC concerts take place rain or shine. Except for lawn seating, all other seats are covered. The grounds open at 6 p.m. and concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own blanket or lawn chair for relaxing on the hillside. Reusable plastic containers and vacuum-seal bottles are allowed. Please note the following ground rules: alcoholic beverages may not be brought into CMAC (beer and wine are available for purchase); glass, bottles, cans, recording devices, grills, pets, fireworks and cameras are not permitted on the grounds.
The RPO’s Summer Series is sponsored by Constellation Brands; its CMAC residency is sponsored by Canandaigua National Bank & Trust. This program is sponsored by Strong Health with additional support provided by Ketmar Development.
Now in its 84th season, the RPO inspires and enriches the community through the art of music. The Orchestra is passionately dedicated to outstanding musical performance at the highest artistic levels, and has a unique tradition of musical versatility, commitment to music education in the broadest sense and a deep and enduring engagement with the community. The RPO has been honored with the New York State Governor’s Arts Award, and two recent ASCAP awards for adventurous programming. RPO performances are made possible in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; the State of New York; Monroe County; the City of Rochester; and American Airlines, the official airline of the RPO.
