The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra will present an evening of powerful music centered around themes of heroism, courage, and community Friday, February 3rd and Saturday February 4th at 8 PM at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland, and Sunday, February 5th at 3 PM at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. The concert at Maryland Hall is sponsored by The Evans Group of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, named to the 2022 Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” List.
The evening opens with Composer Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, an anthem to frontline workers and a response to embattling the isolation caused by COVID-19. The title of this piece, originally commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, is a reference to people around the world, in particular New Yorkers, who supported frontline workers every evening by clapping, banging utensils and shouting slogans of support. Coleman is a founding member and flutist with the wind quartet Imani Winds, an all-Black woodwind quintet that champions works by musicians who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
The second piece in the performance is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73., one of the greatest piano concertos of all time. ASO Artistic Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo chose the piece for its powerful themes of heroism and connection. “When we planned this piece, the war in Ukraine had not yet begun. As that conflict approaches the one-year anniversary, this music in particular connects us emotionally to people who commit themselves to a cause and to improve the lives of others,” he said. The ASO is proud to present pianist Jon Nakamatsu as our guest artist for this performance. Mr. Nakamatsu has won many major awards for his work, and is from San Jose, California.Other pieces in the program include Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 in F minor, op. 10 and Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga’s “Los Esclavos Felices,” written when the composer was just 13 years old.
Learn more about the program in the attached press release, or visit the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra website.
