Riverside Symphony Principal Musicians Present 'Focus: Riverside'

On Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., Music Director George Rothman will lead Riverside Symphony in "Focus: Riverside," at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.

Three exquisite Baroque concerti, one each by Telemann, Vivaldi and Bach, will shine a spotlight on the orchestra's superlative principal musicians. Oboist Robert Ingliss will perform Telemann's Concerto for Oboe in E minor, cellist Greg Hesselink and bassoonist Marc Goldberg will be featured in Vivaldi's Concerto for Cello and Bassoon, and Cenovia Cummins, Louise Owen and Robin Zeh will comprise the violin section in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. Jumping ahead several centuries, the orchestra will perform Stravinsky's glittering neo-classical masterwork, Concerto in E flat, Dumbarton Oaks, which like Bach's Brandenburg Concerti, gives each section of the ensemble a chance to show its technical prowess and interpretative flair. Completing the program will be the U.S. premiere of Lyric Suite by the esteemed 20th-century Swiss composer, the late Robert Suter. Several of Suter's major works have been programmed by Riverside Symphony on its subscription series in the years since directors George Rothman and Anthony Korf discovered his music on a research visit to Switzerland.

Riverside Symphony, celebrating its 30th-anniversary this year, was co-founded in 1981 by George Rothman and Anthony Korf. It has been true, from the beginning, to its focus on discovery- discovery of young artists, unfamiliar works by the great masters and important new pieces by living composers from around the world. Critically acclaimed for its vibrant performances of music from all periods, the orchestra counts this city's finest instrumentalists among its membership. In addition to its annual Alice Tully Hall concert series, Riverside Symphony's International Composer Reading Project has brought outstanding works by unheralded composers to wider attention through national composer competitions, workshop and major venue performances, and recordings.

Riverside Symphony's CDs include a recent release by Bridge Records of music by artistic director Anthony Korf. Forthcoming is a release devoted to major works by the French master Marius Constant. The orchestra's five previous CDs have brought international acclaim, including a 2000 Grammy nomination and Editor's Pick from Britain's Gramophone and The New York Times. Riverside Symphony's Music Memory Project, a widely valued music education initiative created to instill a love for great music in young people, is now serving over 6,000 public school students throughout the five boroughs. The program combines an innovative classroom curriculum that teaches 16 great musical works each school year with a finals competition held at the end of the school year.

Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
Single Tickets: $50, $38 & $22 Students ½ price at box office (day of concert)
For tickets, call Riverside Symphony at 212-864-4197 or visit www.riversidesymphony.org