THIS WEEKEND, ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE OF JENNFER HIGDON’S CELLO CONCERTO

RPO commissioned, AND WILL RECORD AND PERPETUATE, the piece through THE ORCHESTRA’S LANDMARK VOICES OF TODAY INITIATIVE.  

ROCHESTER, NY: The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra led by RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs presents the world premiere of Cello Concerto composed by Jennifer Higdon for guest soloist Julian Schwarz. The premiere is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18 in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, with an encore at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19. 

The new concerto’s backstory begins when Schwarz first heard Higdon’s Violin Concerto written for violinist Hilary Hahn, which won Higdon the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2010. 

It would be several years later before Schwarz connected with Higdon and made the ask. “The answer was, ‘Not that this moment,’” Schwarz recalled, adding that the prolific Higdon explained she was overwhelmed by concerto requests from top classical artists. 

Schwarz waited, but he did not sit still. He returned to Higdon armed with a stronger proposal, this time including sponsorship for the commission. With that, and a slightly lighter schedule, Higdon agreed. “I also think she’d been watching the trajectory of my performing career, where I was busy playing concertos around the country,” Schwarz continued. “It was a matter of good timing.”  

Same for the RPO, which was perfectly poised to partner with Higdon and Schwarz as their collaboration began. Higdon won the 2020 Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition after her Harp Concerto was included in the orchestra’s 2019 album American Rapture. Additionally, Delfs had a long relationship with Higdon, dating back some 25 years, when Higdon was living in Philadelphia, and Delfs was serving as regular guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.   

“She is one of the most prominent living composers,” Delfs said, noting that Higdon was a perfect fit for the RPO’s Voices of Today initiative, which aims to celebrate and capture the work of contemporary classical composers. “She has an incredibly sensitive ear to form and orchestration. Even when her scores are extremely complicated, they always have a sound structure.”  

In addition to presenting premiere performances, Delfs, the RPO, and cellist Schwarz will be recording the concerto for an album ni Rochester produced by the Grammy-winning Alan Bise – the first of five Voices of Today compilations. With a guaranteed album release on a highly regarded record label (Azica), international exposure and promotion, as well as the initiative’s promise to preserve the music’s sound and stories – the RPO provided a deal that Higdon and Schwarz could not refuse. 

So, what’s the concerto sound like? 

Delfs politely avoided the question. “That’s one for Jennifer,” he explained, with a laugh. “And knowing her as well I do, I’m sure she’ll want the music to speak for itself.” 

In her program notes, Higdon wrote, “When getting to know Julian’s playing, I was struck by the lyrical gift that he brings to the cello; I knew immediately that melody would be at the heart of this work. 

She continued, “In the initial stages of composing, the first movement’s title of ‘Poet’ inspired the idea that all the movement titles should be related in a way that if those titles were lined up sequentially, I would have a little poem: Poet Dances Fervent Lines. It is an apt description of this piece, and of the magnificent history of this noble instrument, as well as a tribute to the gifted cellist, Julian Schwarz.” 

 

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Music Director Andreas Delfs, presents the world premiere of Cello Concerto composed by Jennifer Higdon for guest soloist Julian Schwarz 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18 in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs St., with an encore at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Tickets are $30-$98 at RPO.org, or RPO Patron Services, 522 East Ave., 14604, M-F 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 585-454-2100. 

 

ABOUT THE RPO: The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its origins in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 170,000 through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Andreas Delfs was named music director in 2021, following notable RPO music directors Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Mark Elder, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, now in his 32nd season, has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his tenure with the RPO. The RPO reaches more than 30,000 through its specific education programs.