David Lockington to Open Pasadena Symphony's 2013-14 Season with THE RITE OF SPRING, 11/2

The Pasadena Symphony and the greater community of Pasadena welcome new Music Director David Lockington with a series of events and activities, culminating with Lockington's inaugural concert as Music Director Saturday, Nov. 2, with The Rite of Spring for both the matinee and evening performances at Pasadena's acoustically exquisite Ambassador Auditorium. Powerhouse violin virtuoso Anne Akiko Meyers delivers Bernstein's beloved Serenade to celebrate this momentous occasion.

"I couldn't imagine a more exciting or more challenging way to start my tenure as Music Director. This is going to be a great adventure," said Lockington.

Leading up to the big concert, Lockington will work with music students in the Pasadena Young Musician's Orchestra, Sunday, Oct. 27; meet and greet the community at a free, open, welcome reception Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Jacob Maarse Florists; serve as guest presenter Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Pasadena Rotary; and debut the new and vibrantly social Symphony Lounge as part of opening night festivities Nov. 2, to be unveiled in Ambassador Plaza.

"The musicians of our orchestra passionately declared their preference for David," said Paul Jan Zdunek, CEO of the Pasadena Symphony Association. "David is perfect, as our visions completely align and is sure to take us to places we have only dreamed about."

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring will be the centerpiece of the opening concert. Composed under commission for the famed Ballets Russes, the premiere of Stravinsky's score in 1913 incited a near riot in the audience due to its revolutionary and evocative vision of the rituals of pagan Russia. Today it remains one of the most influential works of the 20th century due to the organic way in which each section evolves into an enormously complex score of melodic motifs and rhythms.

The concert will also feature world-renowned violinist, Anne Akiko Meyers, accompanied by the orchestra to perform Leonard Bernstein's Serenade. A five-movement violin concerto in all but name, Bernstein's Serenade is a musical journey through Plato's dialogue, "Symposium," filled with literary allusions brought to melodic life through Meyers' performance on the famed "Vieuxtemps" Guarneri del Gesu, considered by many to be the finest violin in the world today.

"The G string sounds like a cello, the E string rings like cathedral bells and the mid-range hooks it all together. How could one man make a violin like this? It's like having super hot water and super icy cold water coming out of one spigot. The sun and the moon out at the same time. Salt and sugar in one bite," said Akiko Meyers.

Shostakovich's Festive Overture will welcome the audience at the start of the evening's program.

The 2013-14 Singpoli Classics Series marks the Pasadena Symphony's 86th annual season, and fourth season as the resident professional orchestra at the historic Ambassador Auditorium. The Rite of Spring will be performed at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. Tickets begin at $35, and may be purchased by visiting www.PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org, calling 626.793.7172. Box office is also open onsite on the day of concert.

To post a comment, you must register and login.