Photo by P.J. Barbour
Alexandria Symphony Re-introduces FORGOTTEN Voices to the Concert Hall
By MELINDA KERNC
Coming off the heels of its 75th anniversary season, Maestro James Ross continues to push the envelope for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. Diving into his second full season as Music Director, Ross endeavors to feature forgotten voices—many of them women—as a common thread throughout the 2019-2020 programming. “I am committed to welcoming a diversity of musical voices to our stage while aspiring to draw a deeper connection to our community,” says Ross. “Alongside classical favorites, you’ll hear music of women composers on virtually every program this season.” Launching the season on October 5 and 6, 2019, Ross has constructed an “Imaginary Symphony,” drawing movements from works of four composers. This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and the symphony depicts visions of beauty juxtaposed with
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the realities of war. The first movement sets the scene, borrowed from William Walton’s Symphony No. 1 (mvt. 1) and composed prior to WWII. Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony (mvt. 2), paints pastoral and scenic landscapes; Beach’s symphony was the first composed and published by an American woman. An excerpt from suffragist Ethel Smyth’s opera The Wreckers furthers Beach’s narrative with “On the Cliffs of Cornwall.” Composed in 1946, Arthur Honegger’s Third Symphony (mvt. 3) presents a war march that evaporates into a call for peace. Also on the program is Beethoven’s dramatic Triple Concerto. Opening the performances on November 16 and 17, 2019, singers from the Alexandria Choral Society and Fairfax Choral Society will join the symphony for Lili Boulanger’s Old Buddhist Prayer. (Although she died at 24, Boulanger composed many acclaimed works in her short life, and she was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome for composition in 1913.) Following the prayer, cellist Wolfgang Schmidt will perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto, and the program will conclude with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. The ASO’s holiday concert on December 14 and 15, 2019, presents the Nutcracker in two formats: in excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballet and Duke Ellington’s rendition. The Ellington version will be accompanied by visual images telling the story of an African-American girl in Harlem. Winner of the 43rd Mary Graham Lasley Scholarshop Morgan Short will perform Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, arranged for harp. Geared toward families and children, the program will be presented one hour earlier and with no intermission. ASO’s performances on February 15 and 16, 2020, call forth Latin warmth featuring classical guitarist Berta Rojas with CastelnuovoTedesco’s Concerto No. 1. Florence Price’s Andante Moderato from String Quartet in G Major will be expanded into an orchestral work, arranged by Maestro Ross; Price’s works have recently been rediscovered, as she was the first African-American woman to have a major symphony premiere her composition in 1933. The concert also features Schubert’s Fifth Symphony. A salute to the power of story-telling, the season finale on May 16 and 17, 2020, celebrates diverse voices through music. An original work by Baltimore Symphony’s percussionist Brian Precht unites the Alexandria Symphony with members of Sympatico, the ASO’s awardwinning education program. Three Latin-American Dances by renowned living composer Gabriela Lena Frank demonstrates both the mixed and distinctive cultures of our Latin neighbors. The concert culminates with Rimsky Korsakov’s death-defying saga of Scheherazade. The Alexandria Symphony is a fully-professional orchestra drawing from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region’s wealth of musical talent. The ASO performs Saturday evenings at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center and Sunday matinees at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Subscriptions and single tickets for the 2019-2020 are now on sale. For tickets and more information, visit www.alexsym.org or call (703) 548-0885.