The UBC Symphony Orchestra under conductor Jonathan Girard, will perform in Salmon Arm Saturday.
The first concert of the orchestra’s Western Canada tour includes Strauss’ Don Juan; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin Op. 35 featuring faculty soloist David Gillham.
“This exciting repertoire is both technically virtuosic and melodically beautiful, says Girard, noting seasoned music lovers will find much to appreciate, while newcomers to classical music will enjoy the stirring tunes.
“The UBC Symphony Orchestra is one of the finest student orchestras in Canada and we are excited to perform at the SASCU Recreation Centre,” adds Girard.
The Orchestra regularly collaborates with UBC’s Opera, University Singers, and Choral Union.
The UBCSO’s 2013 recording of Stephen Chatman’s Magnificat was nominated for a 2014 Juno Award for Best Composition, an impressive honour for any student orchestra. It was recorded on Centrediscs label and is distributed by iTunes and Naxos.
Saturday’s performance is impressive too:
Don Juan, Op. 20, by Richard Strauss, is a tone poem for large orchestra written in 1888. Strauss wrote and conducted the piece when he was only 24 years old.
The work is based on the poem Don Juan by Nikolaus Lenau, from which it draws both its dashing musical statements and its passionate longing. The extreme difficulty of nearly every part makes the piece an orchestral showpiece with few peers.
One of the most technically challenging works written for the violin, Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin Op. 35 premiered in Vienna in 1881.
A 40-minute tour de force of sweeping melody and emotional contrasts, it has long since earned its place as a timeless classic in the orchestral canon.
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is one of the most famous orchestral works ever written. Its opening four notes have resonated with audiences for the last 200 years; their rhythmic intensity propelling a symphony full of memorable motifs including everything from gentle lyricism to stately marches, concluding with a triumphal finale.
Appointed in 2012, Girard is director of orchestras and assistant professor of conducting and Ensembles at UBC. 2012.
Violinist David Gillham enjoys a career as soloist, chamber musician and teacher. As a soloist, he has been a concerto artist with many orchestras.
More information on the UBCSO at www.music.ubc.ca/student-ensembles/symphony-orchestra.html
The concert takes place April 5 at 7 p.m. at the rec centre. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students are available at the door.
