Our last virtual concert of the season, "To The Fore", is coming to you on May 6th!
In this finale of our 20th season, we celebrate composers and works that use exotic combinations of instruments and orchestral colors to tell unique stories.
The concert begins with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Chamber Symphony, a work whose elaborate melodic writing and rich and varied sonorities explore a profound world of “grief, outrage, and bewilderment” (New York Times).
Next is Jennifer Higdon's Dark Wood, featuring NSS principal bassoonist Jarratt Rossini with a dizzy whirlwind of fast-paced chromatic phrases, competing against an array of rhythmic and percussive elements from the whole ensemble. Higdon encourages the listener to form their own impressions while experiencing the bassoon’s extraordinary sonic versatility that stems from the beauty of its “dark wood”.
The program and our season conclude with the light-hearted suite from the ballet La Revue de Cuisine by Bohuslav Martinu, a witty jazz-inspired toe-tapping comedy with a bizarre story where kitchen utensils come to life in a romantic culinary soap opera.
We're thrilled to welcome Maestro Seaton back to the podium to conduct all three pieces, with our largest chamber music ensembles of the season.
"To The Fore" will premiere Thursday, May 6 at 7pm PST on NSS YouTube and north state Public Access TV. A pre-concert talk will premiere live on Tuesday, May 4 at 7pm PST on NSS YouTube and Facebook.
