WOODSTOCK MOZART FESTIVAL Kicks Off Today, Feat. Bartok, Haydn, Mozart & More!

Three lively concert programs make up the Woodstock Mozart Festival's 27th season today, July 27-August 11, 2013 at the Woodstock Opera House. Single tickets are on sale now.

The program lineup is as follows:

July 27 and 28: San Francisco Symphony Resident Conductor Donato Cabrera and award-winning pianist Vassily Primakov

Bartók's Rumanian Dances are the result of the composer's exploration and collection of folk music from the mountain areas of central Europe, particularly Transylvania in Hungary.

Mozart composed his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Major, K. 453, No. 17, for his talented pupil Barbara Ployer; the piece was appealing to the general listener of the day, yet filled with subtle interactions that demanded an extremely sensitive interpreter.

Stravinsky's Concerto in E Flat "Dumbarton Oaks," the last work he composed completely in Europe, was a commission to celebrate the 30th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. RoBert Woods Bliss and derived inspiration from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks.

Haydn's Symphony No. 85 in B-flat Major "La Reine" is one of the composer's "Paris" symphonies and gained its nickname "The Queen" because Marie Antoinette enjoyed it after recognizing a tune from her Viennese childhood in its second movement.

August 3 and 4: Festival principal cellist Nazar Dzhuryn; French saxophonist and two-time Echo Klassique Award (European Grammy) Winner Daniel Gauthier, with conductor Igor Gruppman

Mozart's Symphony No. 17 in G Major, K. 129 is a charming three-movement Salzburg symphony scored for pairs of oboes and horns with strings.

Haydn's Concerto in C Major for Violoncello and Orchestra, H. VIIb:1 was missing for some time and is thought to be perhaps his first cello concerto.

Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, an opera that brought him worldwide popularity, is the most famous of the one-actverismo (realism) operas of the late 19th century.

Ibert, composer of Concertino da Camera for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, often seasoned his blend of Impressionism and neo-Classicism with delightfully humorous touches.

Bizet's Adagietto from the Incidental Music to L'Arlesienne, a melodrama by Alphonse Daudet, enhanced the dramatic action effectively.

Schulhoff, a Czech composer and pianist of German ancestry who wrote Hot-Sonate for Alto Saxophone, was one of a group of composers suppressed during the Nazi regime; he became interested in American jazz and rough-cut dance forms as a way of lampooning elitist music.

Iturralde, a noted jazz performer and orchestral soloist in Madrid, wrote Pequeña Czarda for solo saxophone.

August 10 and 11: Grammy-winning violinist Igor Gruppman, conductor, and violist Vesna Gruppman

Mozart's Divertimento in F Major for Strings, K. 138 is one of three such works that did not adhere to the traditional format or style of a divertimento and are more like symphonies for only strings.

Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor "Farewell" is a product of his sturm und drang (storm and stress) period (1768-72), when he went beyond the usual bounds of classic reserve to exhibit more turbulent passions.

Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364 (K. 320d) for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, of somewhat mysterious origins, was his last work combining symphony and concerto for multiple soloists and his only solo use of the viola.

The 2013 Woodstock Mozart Festival takes place July 27-August 11, Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren Street, Woodstock. Pre-concert introductions take place one hour before each of the performances. Tickets are $30-52, $25 for students, per program and are available through the Woodstock Opera House Box Office at 815-338-5300 or at woodstockoperahouse.com. For more information about the Festival, visit mozartfest.org.

The Woodstock Mozart Festival's first performances took place in 1987 at the restored 1880s Woodstock Opera House in an environment reminiscent of Mozart's day. From the beginning, the Festival showcased internationally recognized guest artists and conductors during its three weekends of concerts in late July and early August. The Festival's goal is to maintain a superb orchestra that delivers extraordinary performances to inspire and educate audiences of all ages through a chamber orchestral program of an outstanding caliber, which is centered on Mozart. The Woodstock Mozart Festival is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the Illinois Arts Alliance. Funding is provided by the Illinois Arts Council, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture, the AptarGroup Charitable Foundation and private and corporate contributions.

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