Hawaii Symphony Orchestra Performs Bruch Violin Concerto & Holst's THE PLANETS

The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) presents the second Halekulani Masterworks concert in its 2016-2017 season with Wagenaar's Overture to The Taming of the Shrew, Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, and a multimedia presentation of Holst's The Planets on Sunday, October 30. Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, arguably one of Bruch's most popular compositions, features violinist, Ray Chen - first prize winner in the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition and the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition.

Led by Maestro Sarah Ioannides, "The Planets" anchor is Holst's composition of the same name. Holst completed "The Planets" in 1917. Earth, for whatever reason, did not stimulate his imagination and Pluto had not yet been discovered, so neither are included in the piece. This symphonic suite is its own musical galaxy, less governed by science than by mysticism. It will take concertgoers on a journey through our solar system. This moving musical journey is elevated even more by an HD video screen presenting real NASA footage and computer generated images of space . Tickets start at $34 and are on sale now.

About Ray Chen: "To die for. He had the kind of liquid tone that carries with it emotional depth of great intimacy". The Huffington Post. Ray Chen will be performing with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra for the first time on October 30. In 2012 Chen became the youngest soloist ever to perform in the televised Nobel Prize Concert for the Nobel Laureates and the Swedish Royal Family. He is a young musician to watch, with over 12 million social media followers, he has made it a personal mission to broaden the reach of classical music through humor and education.

Winner of the Queen Elisabeth (2009) and Yehudi Menuhin Competitions (2008), Ray Chen is among the most compelling young violinists today. "Ray has proven himself to be a very pure musician with great qualities such as a beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness. He has all the skills of a truly musical interpreter," said the great Maxim Vengerov.

Ray has released three critically acclaimed albums on Sony: a recital program "Virtuoso" of works by Bach, Tartini, Franck, and Wieniawski, and the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky concertos with Swedish Radio Orchestra and Daniel Harding. Following the success of these recordings, Ray was profiled by The Strad and Gramophone magazines as "the one to watch". "Virtuoso" was distinguished with the prestigious ECHO Klassik award. His third recording, an all-Mozart album with Christoph Eschenbach and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, was released in January 2014.

About Sarah Ioannides: Described by the New York Times as a conductor with "unquestionable strength and authority" and recently as a conductor with "magic" Sarah Ioannides' dynamic presence has won praise from audience and critics alike internationally with engagements spanning five continents. Music Director of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra and formerly the El Paso Symphony for six years, she is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most engaging and respected conductors of her generation.

Internationally she has appeared with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Nationale de Lyon, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Flemish Radio Orchestra, National Symphony of Colombia, Daejeon Philharmonic, Wuettembergisches Kammerorchester, and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra. Ioannides has led orchestras extensively in the US including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, New Haven Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and the Toledo Symphony. A protege of Otto­Werner Mueller, Ioannides appeared in special engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New World Symphony and the London Symphony Orchestra working with Pierre Boulez and Esa­Pekka Salonen. Having served as the Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, Ioannides was the first woman appointed to the full-time conducting staff of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Named one of the top twenty female conductors worldwide by Norman Lebrecht's "Woman Conductors: The Power List" in May 2016, she was also named in the Los Angeles Times as "one of six female conductors breaking the glass podium" and noted in the New York Times as part of "a new wave of female conductors in their late 20's through early 40's" Ioannides was awarded the JoAnn Falletta award for the most promising female conductor.

Tickets: Tickets range from $34 to $92 and are available at the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra Box Office by calling (808) 94-MUSIC - (808) 946-8742 from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. HSO advance sales end at noon on Friday, October 28, but are available through the Blaisdell Box Office until concert time.

O'ahu Student & Military Discounts:

· Student tickets: $13 rush tickets for any seat beginning Monday, October 24.

· Active Duty Military tickets: $20 rush tickets for any seat beginning Monday, October 24.

About the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra

The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2011 and made its debut in 2012. The new HSO carries on the legacy of the Honolulu Symphony, which was founded in 1900 and performed for more than a century. The orchestra employs 84 professional musicians and presents classical masterworks, pops, educational and community programs.

The mission of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra is to present the highest-quality performances of great music, bringing national and international distinction to the orchestra and its community; to delight and educate audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and enhance the cultural vitality and quality of life in these Islands; and to operate in a financially sound manner.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra.org. Share your Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra experience with the #HiSymphony hashtag on Twitter and Instagram @HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra

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