Island Symphony Orchestra Presents NORTHERN LIGHTS

Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts presents Island Symphony Orchestra "Northern Lights" featuring Finnish composer Jean Sibelius' Valse Triste and Symphony No. 2 on Sunday November 24, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices range between $15.00-$25.00, plus applicable fees. Purchase online, by phone or at the box office. For more information, visit PatchogueTheatre.org, call the Patchogue Theatre Box Office at 631-207-1313, or stop by 71 East Main Street, Patchogue, NY.

Island Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Eric R. Stewart, will perform works from Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.

Sibelius' Valse Triste was originally part of the incidental music he composed for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt's 1903 play Kuolema (Death), but is far better known as a separate concert piece.

Sibelius started composing Symphony No. 2 in winter 1901 in Rapallo, Italy, shortly after the successful premiere of the popular symphonic poem Finlandia, and finished in 1902 in Finland. Sibelius said, "My second symphony is a confession of the soul."

Music Director and Conductor, Eric R. Stewart's music has been performed throughout North America and Europe by such artists as the Talea Ensemble, the Cambridge Modern Orchestra, renowned concert organist Felix Hell, and the multi-Grammy Award-winning Gregg Smith Singers.

As a conductor, Eric has appeared at such venues as Carnegie Hall (Zankel Hall), the Four Seasons Centre of the Canadian Opera Company (Bradshaw Amphitheatre), and has been broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). He served as the Assistant Conductor for the Argento Ensemble, the gamUT Contemporary Ensemble (Toronto, Canada), and as Cover Conductor with the Harbor Opera Company (Baltimore, MD), the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble/Baltimore Baroque Band, and the 92Y Orchestra (New York, NY).

There will be a free Meet & Greet with the Conductor and a Scandinavian-themed Reception following the performance.

Island Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit, all-volunteer, Long Island-wide orchestra whose talented members have ranged in age from their 20s to their 90s! The orchestra performs at venues across Long Island, including two public concerts at Patchogue Theatre each year, in the Spring and Fall/Winter.

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