Marching Forth

Maestro Aram Demirjian will lead the KSO Chamber Orchestra in a euphonious program of chamber orchestra gems on March 4 at 2:30 at the Bijou Theatre. So “March forth” and check out some of these standards. The table will be set by J.S. Bach's beloved Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; a fascinating, intricate work which you have heard if you have seen Die Hard, Hannibal, Moll Flanders or Romy and Michele's High School Reunion- or, no doubt, if you have attended a wedding where strings were playing. Actually, fascinating and interesting are words that well describe (in different ways) all of the works on the concert. Following the Bach will be Stravinsky's Neo-classical Concerto in E-flat Dumbarton Oaks, Christopher Theofanidis' Muse, and Mozart's crowning symphonic achievement, the “Jupiter” Symphony (No. 41). This concert will be special to me as it will take place on the 35th anniversary of my senior recital at the Hartt School. Wow, do I feel old...

While Sunday's concert is the main event for the KSO this weekend, there are a couple other events that are worth mentioning. One is tomorrow night's concert at Bearden High School, where the students will be joined by the KSO strings to present John Rutter's Suite for Strings, Jean Sibelius' Andante festivo and Joshua Reznicow's Darkened Shadows. That 7:00 performance will begin with a collaboration between the Bearden High and Bearden Middle School orchestras, sort of a “side-by-side junior” event.

Finally, KSO Principal Flutist Hannah Hammel will be presenting a recital at UT's Powell Recital Hall on Sunday at 8:00 (following the KSCO concert). She'll be accompanied by pianist David Mamedov, and UT's professor of flute, Shelley Binder. Music of Poulenc, Bach and Doppler will be performed, with a transcription of the Franck Violin Sonata as a closer. This sonata has also been arranged for tuba, cello, viola and alto sax with piano, and amazingly, organ with choir. After hearing Concertmaster William Schaub's performance of the Franck on his Concertmaster Series recital debut in October, it will be interesting to hear the Franck in a very different setting.