Circle the Wagons to Learn How Haydn and Mozart were Musical Pioneers
Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will perform its second Symphony 101 concert as part of a year-long examination of the lives and inspirations of some of the world’s greatest composers. On Friday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, and Sunday, November 18 at 2:00 p.m. in the Hale Auditorium, Roberts Cultural Life Center at Roberts Wesleyan College, Music Director Christopher Seaman leads the RPO in works by Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to help explain the impact of these two seminal composers.
The RPO will focus on movements from Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, “Prague” to illuminate how each of these pioneering composers created the fundamental rules of symphonic writing to which modern composers still adhere today. Haydn and Mozart are recognized as composers whose genius ushered in the majesty of the Classical era of symphonic music generally considered to be from approximately 1750-1820. During that time, music was mirroring European architecture and literature, which also were evolving from a less formalized to a more simple and clean structure.
Music Director Seaman leads these engaging and innovative Symphony 101 concerts that feature discussion, musical examples, selections from significant works and complete pieces. Following each concert, Mr. Seaman takes questions from the audience.
General admission tickets for these performances are $22, available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org, by phone (454-2100) in person from the RPO Box Office and at area Wegmans. A convenience fee may apply. RPO Box Office hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (non-concert Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.).
Celebrating its 85th season in 2007-08, 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.
The Symphony 101 Series is sponsored by PAETEC Communications, Inc. Additional support for this series is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 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; and the City of Rochester.
