FRIDAY, MAY 2
7:30PM
RITE OF SPRING
PROGRAM
HECTOR BERLIOZ - Roman Carnival Overture
TAKASHI YOSHIMATSU - Cyber Bird Concerto
INTERMISSION
IGOR STRAVINSKY - The Rite of Spring
ARTISTS
Mélisse Brunet, conductor
Jichen Zhang, saxophone
Meng Liu, piano
Ben Stone, percussion
VENUE
Singletary Center for the Arts
DURATION
1.5 Hours
ABOUT THE MUSIC
LexPhil’s 2024/25 Season finale concert bursts forth into spring with Hector Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture followed by the evocative Cyber Bird Concerto by Takashi Yoshimatsu. The three movement work follows “an imaginary bird in the realm of electronic cyberspace”. Described as a ‘triple concerto’ the piece features saxophonist Jichen Zhang, pianist Meng Liu and percussionist Ben Stone.
The concert reaches its climactic finale with Igor Stravinsky’s formidable work, The Rite of Spring, originally a ballet but performed most often as a stand alone orchestral tour de force. Stravinsky’s angular motifs and furious rhythmic writing exemplifies the pagan rituals depicted in the ballet. The haunting opening bassoon solo is a foreboding beginning to the tumultuous journey that unfolds. The Rite of Spring is a wildly electric apex to the season that deserves to be experienced.
THE ARTISTS
JICHEN ZHANG
MENG LUI
BEN STONE
INSIDE THE SCORE
Join us prior to Rite of Spring for a free pre-concert lecture with Music Director Mélisse Brunet and guest artists for an exclusive, in-depth look Inside the Score! The talk begins at 6:30PM in the Presidents Room prior to the concert. Seating is limited, so arrive early!
Presented by The Glenview Trust Company
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