Be sure to bring your smartphone as the MSO launches into its new season.
The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra will present its opening concert of the 2019-2020 OhioHealth Symphony Series, “Bohemian Souls” on Saturday, September 21 at 8:00 PM at the Renaissance Theatre. Under the direction of Octavio Más-Arocas, the event will feature a program inspired by composers who were deemed unconventional in their day.
Perhaps the most famous work of the evening is Dvořák ‘s Symphony No. 8, which was composed in honor of Dvořák’s election into the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts. Dvořák’s 8th Symphony is cheery and lyrical and draws its inspiration more from the Bohemian folk music that Dvořák loved.
The start of the concert is a new work from living composer, Missy Mazolli, titled Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres). Mazolli has stated about the work, “Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) is music in the shape of a solar system, a collection of rococo loops that twist around each other within a larger orbit. The word “sinfonia” refers to baroque works for chamber orchestra but also to the old Italian term for a hurdy-gurdy, a medieval stringed instrument with constant, wheezing drones that are cranked out under melodies played on an attached keyboard. It’s a piece that churns and roils, that inches close to the listener only to leap away at breakneck speed, in the process transforming the ensemble turns into a makeshift hurdy-gurdy, flung recklessly into space.”
The orchestra will then perform Tchaikovsky’s famous Violin Concert performed by violin virtuoso Francisco Fullana. Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, has been hailed as a “rising star” (BBC Music Magazine), an “amazing talent” (conductor Gustavo Dudamel) and “a paragon of delicacy” (San Francisco Classical Voice). His Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2016 was noted for its “joy and playfulness in collaboration … it was perfection” (New York Concert Review).
Through the generous sponsorship of OhioHealth, the symphony will also be offering an innovative experience at this concert. During the performance, and through the Renaissance app (available on Google Play and the App store), live commentary of Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) will be broadcast. The goal of this technology is to enhance the performance with the intent of forging an emotional bond between the audience and the performers.
At 7:00 PM, come hear music historian Mark Sebastian Jordan in “Symphony Chat” on the second-floor ballroom of the Renaissance Theatre. Sponsored by RFME Insurance, the popular free pre-show event offers insights to the program, stories about the pieces and the composers, as well as highlights of significant moments in the repertoire. Free hors d’oeuvres from Arby’s on Park Avenue and reduced-price beverages will be served. Seating is limited.
Tickets are on sale now for this concert at the Renaissance Box Office, via phone at (419) 522-2726, and online at RenTickets.Org (link: RenTickets.Org). Enjoy two tickets, two glasses of wine, and local chocolates with our Date Night tickets! A $110 value for only $75. A limited number of $50 Family Four Pack tickets as well as $10 student tickets are also available for this event only by visiting or calling the Renaissance Box Office. Full-price tickets range from $15 to $40. The Mansfield Symphony’s “Bohemian Souls” concert is presented in part thanks to funding from the Ohio Arts Council.
Source: Renaissance Performing Arts Association
