PEORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES BEETHOVEN AND BOCCHERINI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2019
PEORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES BEETHOVEN AND BOCCHERINI
PEORIA, IL – The Peoria Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is pleased to announce the Beethoven and Boccherini concert on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 7:30 PM at Grace Presbyterian, Route 91, Peoria. Join the PSO as Beethoven, Haydn, and Boccherini show their whimsical sides. Each work surprised audiences at their premieres—you’ve likely never heard a classical composer use castanets before!
Regarding this performance, Maestro George Stelluto says:
“With patrons ranging from nobility to the new middle class, classical composers had to be entertainers as well as artists—leavening their expressive genius, profound or earthy with charm, style, and wit. They often used folk material, dance forms, and clever, humorous surprises in their music. All of the music on the PSO program delighted the audiences of the day; and it will you, too! From Beethoven’s humor, to Haydn’s surprises, to Boccherini’s castanets, you’ll enjoy their music with a smile.”
The concert features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, which begins in a way so startling that it confounded audiences and critics at its premiere. In Cello Concerto in B-flat, Boccherini pulls out all the stops: passages in double-stops, blazing fast figuration, and lines that reach the extremes of the cello’s range. The concert also features Boccherini’s Fandango, arranged by Maestro George Stelluto. Originally composed for a solo guitar, the cello takes center stage with hints of seductive, fast-paced Spanish folk dances. Finally, Symphony #103 “Drumroll” is the most unusual of Haydn’s works—abrupt, mysterious, and innovative.
The concert will feature cellist Adriana LaRosa Ransom, Associate Professor of Cello and Director of String Project and the Community School for the Arts at Illinois State University. In addition to the PSO, the Illinois State Wind Symphony, and the Illinois State Symphony Orchestra, she has also appeared as a guest artist on notable solo and chamber music recital series, including the Peoria Bach Festival, Chicago Cello Society concerts, the Trinity Lutheran Candlelight Concert Series, and at universities throughout the Midwest. Currently Principal Cellist of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, she formerly was a member of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, the St. Cloud Symphony, the European Musical Festival Orchestra, and Sinfonia da Camera. She is the recipient of the College of Fine Arts Outstanding Teacher Award, the College of Fine Arts Outstanding Service Award, and the Illinois American String Teachers Association Distinguished Service Award.
Join Maestro Stelluto before the performance at the concert venue for a Pre-Concert Lecture at 6:30 PM. It includes an insightful and relaxed conversation related to the music, composers, and the guest artist featured in the evening’s concert. After the concert, the PSO invites the audience to join the Maestro, fellow concert-goers, and musicians at a P.S. Party, held at Suite Fire Bar and Grille, 7601 N. Orange Prairie Rd., Peoria. Food and drinks will be available to purchase.
Beethoven and Boccherini is sponsored by the Meredith Foundation; this program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Additional support of the 121st Symphony Season provided by PNC.
Tickets for Beethoven and Boccherini start at $25 and student tickets are $10. Tickets are available by calling 309.671.1096, visiting the PSO Box Office located at 101 State Street, Peoria, IL or online at peoriasymphony.org. Group discounts are also available. Contact the PSO Box Office for details: 309.671.1096.
# # #
Founded in 1897, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire through music. The PSO presents excellent live musical performances, innovative music education programs, and engaging community outreach efforts, which significantly impact the cultural and economic vitality of Central Illinois.
If you would like more information or higher resolution photographs, please contact:
Mae Gilliland Wright, PhD
Director of Marketing and Communications
309.671.1096
mgwright@peoriasymphony.org
