YPSILANTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OPENS ITS 2025-26 CONCERT SEASON
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5th AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL LED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR ADAM C. RICCINTO
Join YSO in its 27th season opener with music by Howard Hanson, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and John Corigliano, featuring guest artist Steven Somers performing guitar masterpiece Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo
Music Director Adam C. Riccinto and the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra (YSO) invite you to experience the Magic of Music as they launch their 27th season. The exhilarating season opener will feature classical guitarist, composer, jazz artist, and educator Steven Somers as special guest artist as the orchestra returns to the stage at the Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 5th at 3:30 p.m. The concert will showcase orchestral treasures such as Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 (Romantic); Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s familiar favorite Capriccio Espanol; and John Corigliano’s Voyage for String Orchestra—as well as Mr. Somers performing Joaquín Rodrigo’s virtuosic Concierto de Aranjuez for classical guitar.
“The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra is so pleased to launch a new concert season,” said Music Director Adam C. Riccinto. “Our opening concert on October 5th will offer something for everyone, including hidden gems, old favorites, and a special performance of Rodrigo’s beloved Concierto de Aranjuez by outstanding local guitarist Steven Somers. Come join us as we share the magic of music with our audiences!”
Steven H. Somers was born in New York City and raised in Berkeley, California. He moved to Michigan in 1979 where he attended Eastern Michigan University and received a B.S. degree in classical guitar performance (1984) and an M.A. in music theory / composition (1986). His private instructors included Anthony Iannaccone, William Albright, Nelson Amos and George Barnes. Mr. Somers is currently directing the jazz ensembles for Washtenaw Community College and the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra. He also teaches privately and has composed many pieces for classical guitar, other instruments, jazz band and orchestra. Mr. Somers recently headlined at the Ann Arbor Art Fair with the Washtenaw Community College Jazz Ensemble and his own jazz groups.
Howard Hanson (1896-1981) was born in Wahoo, Nebraska. He studied at the University of Nebraska, the Institute of Musical Arts (later known as the Juilliard School of Music) and Northwestern University. His three-movement Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” was premiered in 1930 by Serge Koussevitzky in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The symphony unfolds in three movements that share and transform several core themes, creating a seamless, cyclic narrative. The opening Adagio introduces a nostalgic melody that returns in varied forms, including as a plaintive horn countermelody, a triumphant theme in the slow movement, and a soaring motive in the final movement. The bold orchestration is lyrical while also providing a cinematic quality.
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was a prolific Russian composer and prominent member of a group of influential Russian composers known as “The Five.” He composed the popular Capriccio Espanol Op. 34 in 1887 as a five-movement fantasia on Spanish folk melodies. Originally conceived for violin and orchestra, Rimsky-Korsakov expanded the work into a full orchestral suite, transforming Spanish melodies into a brilliantly orchestrated showpiece for orchestra. The first movement, “Alborada,” is based on a traditional Asturian dance. It is followed by the stately “Variazioni,” which begins with a beautiful horn melody and ends with a chromatic flute cadenza. Another “Alborada” follows, marked by percussion and a lively violin solo. The ensuing “Scena e canto gitano” (gypsy song) showcases cadenzas for horns, violin, flute, clarinet, and harp, leading to the closing “Fandango,” with an energetic Spanish dance with rhythmic use of cymbals, percussion, and brass.
Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was born in the Spanish province of Valencia. Diphtheria caused him to lose his sight when he was only three; at four he began music lessons at the Valencia school for the blind, studying piano, violin and composition, and later studying further in Paris. Composed in 1939, the Concierto de Aranjuez was inspired by the gardens at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez. The three-part concerto opens with two alternating lively themes; these are in contrast to the gentle quiet of the second movement, which is constructed as a dialogue between the solo guitar and the orchestra. Rodrigo described the third movement as “a courtly dance,” with a melody that is transformed and shared between the soloist and the ensemble before coming to a quiet end.
John Corigliano (b.1938) composed Voyage as an instrumental arrangement of his 1971 choral work of the same name, itself based on Richard Wilbur's translation of Baudelaire's poem "L'Invitation au Voyage". The composer’s 1978 reworking of the piece for string orchestra omits the text, but preserves its sound and pace. According to the composer, who has created over one hundred scores and has won the Pulitzer Prize, the Grawemeyer Award, five Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award, the music evokes a dreamlike, "drugged version of heaven" filled with "obsessive imagination" and sensual imagery, echoing the refrain "There, there is nothing else but grace and measure, richness, quietness and pleasure".
The YSO will perform with Steven Somers as soloist on Sunday, October 5 at 3:30 p.m. at Lincoln High School’s Performing Arts Center, 7425 Willis Road, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197. Tickets are $13 for adults and children over 10, $6 for seniors, $7 for students, and $30/ per family. Children 10 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at a2tix.com.
The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra (YSO) is proud of its unique and significant cultural contribution to the Ypsilanti area. The YSO’s mission is “to share our passion for music through innovative programming, creative collaboration, and arts advocacy,” and to “actively contribute to the music appreciation and education of our musicians, organizational members and audience.” Led by Founder and Music Director Adam C. Riccinto, the Symphony marks its 27th anniversary with the 2025-26 season.
The YSO is grateful for the many businesses and individuals who shared their support by contributing auction items. The YSO also thanks its Corporate Sponsors: Bank of Ann Arbor, Dennis Green, The Dog Wizard Ann Arbor, Dykema, Faber Piano Institute, in2being, LLC., Dan and Linda Wagner, Washtenaw Parks & Recreation Commission, The Ypsilanti Performance Space (The Ypsi), and Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. As well as our Business Sponsors: Ann Arbor Smiles, Brewed Awakenings, The Brian Bundesen Team, Meadow Montessori School, Sidetracks Bar & Grill, and Wellspring Healing Center LLC.
More information about the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra can be found at www.ypsilantisymphony.org, on Instagram @ypsilantisymphony, on our YouTube channel, and on Facebook.
You may also like the following events from Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra:
Also check out other
Music events in Willis,
Entertainment events in Willis,
Concerts in Willis.
|
