RPO Ushers in Spring with Romantic Dvořák

For Immediate Release:  March 12, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com, @PR4Arts
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and guest conductor Andreas Delfs usher in spring with Romantic Dvořák (pronounced: DVOR-zhahk) in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Thursday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m.  Tickets start at $22 ($10 student tickets) and are available in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street) or at area Wegmans; by phone at (585) 454-2100; or online at rpo.org. In partnership with the Ithaca College School of Music, the same program will be presented in Ford Hall at Ithaca College on Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. (tickets are $25/$10 students).

Composed during the summer and autumn of 1889, Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 reflects the idyllic surroundings of his beloved, restful Bohemian estate outside of Prague. Its contented, pastoral nature mirrors that location, and its simple, carefree mood and freshness is a perfect match for our own spring awakening. Also on the program is Bedrich Smetana’s “The Moldau,” No. 2 from Má vlast (My Homeland), the second and most famous in a cycle of six nationalistic symphonic poems about his beloved Bohemia. “The Moldau” is Smetana’s loving tribute to the river Vltava that runs through what is now the Czech Republic.

Finally, continuing the orchestra’s focus on spotlighting its own musicians and as well as highlighting the music of under-performed American composers, Anna Steltenpohl makes her RPO soloist debut with Vincent Persichetti’s Concerto for English Horn and String Orchestra, Op. 137. The prolific Persichetti wrote it in 1977, responding to a commission from the New York Philharmonic for music to showcase the talents of its principal players – in this case, English horn soloist Thomas Stacy. 

Oboist with the RPO since 2008, Illinois native Anna Steltenpohl has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and (as principal oboe) with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony and the New Jersey Symphony. In addition to being featured on National Public Radio’s nationally-syndicated “From the Top,” she and her twin sister, Lisa Steltenpohl – a violist in the RPO since 2009 – starred in the educational video series, “Musical Encounters.” Steltenpohl is also an adjunct lecturer of oboe at SUNY Geneseo, and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School.

Andreas Delfs is currently Conductor Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra where, during twelve seasons as music director, he was instrumental in the orchestra’s rise to national prominence.  He has held chief artistic posts with orchestras in North America and Europe, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; the symphony orchestra and opera company of Hannover, Germany; and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Recent guest conducting highlights have included appearances with the Tonkünstler-Orchester Vienna, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. His last RPO appearance was in May 2010.  Delfs’s recording projects include Beethoven piano concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra and a collection of sacred songs with Renée Fleming. Born in Flensburg, Germany, Delfs became the youngest-ever music director of the Hamburg University Orchestra when he was 20 before enrolling at The Julliard School.  He currently splits his time between Europe and his home in Trumansburg, New York.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents up to 150 concerts a year, serving nearly 200,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Notable former music directors include Eugene Goossens, José Iturbi, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman; Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his 19-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches 12,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note:  High-resolution images are available upon request and at docs.google.com/folder.  Interviews, as well as photo and footage opportunities, can be arranged.