The Orchestra Now to Livestream Two Free Concerts in March

The Orchestra Now continues its spring 2021 season with two free concerts livestreamed from the Fisher Center at Bard, featuring assistant conductor Andrés Rivas on March 7, and resident conductor Zachary Schwartzman on March 20.

Works on both concerts, ranging from rarely performed music for string orchestra to Vivaldi's Concerto in G minor, Pärt's memorial for composer Benjamin Britten and Shchedrin's Carmen Suite after Bizet's beloved opera, will be prefaced with brief remarks by TŌN musicians.

On March 7, TŌN assistant conductor Andrés Rivas will lead the Orchestra in four works for string orchestra. English composer Bruce Montgomery used his talents in several genres. After starting out as a composer of choral and vocal music, he wrote a number of TV and film scores for the infamous British comedy series Carry On and authored a series of mystery novels under the pseudonym Edmund Crispin.

His Concertino for String Orchestra will be performed as part of the program. American composer and cellist Victor Herbert, a founder of ASCAP, was primarily known for his many successful Broadway operettas, but also wrote a collection of seldom-heard orchestral works, including his Romantic five-movement Serenade for String Orchestra. In addition, the concert will offer Music for Strings by Swedish composer Ingvar Lidholm, who won the 1968 Salzburg Opera Prize for his TV opera Holländarn ("The Dutchman"); and the 1934 piece Impresión nocturna from award-winning Spanish composer and violinist Andrés Gaos, whose rarely heard works often have elements of popular music. Venezuelan conductor and violinist Andrés Rivas, given the baton by Gustavo Dudamel for a concert celebrating the 36th anniversary of El Sistema in Venezuela, will explore the program in a special Zoom seminar on Monday, March 1 at 7 PM.

On March 20, TŌN resident conductor Zachary Schwartzman will lead an arrangement of orchestral music from Bizet's classic opera Carmen by Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin in advance of his 90th birthday in December 2022. Noted for his wide-ranging compositional style, Shchedrin's works display components spanning the avant-garde and neo-Classicism as well as folk and jazz. His music for the Carmen Suite is a one-act ballet composed for his wife, a prima ballerina. The program will also feature Swiss composer Frank Martin's most recognized work, Petite symphonie concertante; Arvo Pärt's Cantus for string orchestra and bell, written in memory of composer Benjamin Britten, whom Pärt very much admired; and Vivaldi's Concerto for Strings in G minor. Conductor and Grammy-nominated recording artist Zachary Schwartzman will offer musical insights on the concert in a Zoom seminar on Thursday, March 11 at 7 PM.

For upcoming activities and more detailed information about the musicians, visit theorchestranow.org.

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