Symphony in C Young Professional Orchestra to Perform All-Mozart Concert in December

Symphony in C Young Professional Orchestra will perform an All-Mozart concert on December 3, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. This second concert of its Season of Guest Conductors will be led by Joshua Hong, and feature soloists Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano and Clayton Stephenson, piano.

The concert opens with the well-known motet for soprano and orchestra, Exsultate Jubilate, K. 165. Mozart composed it for the Italian castrato, Venanzio Rauzzini in 1773 while in Milan. In modern times, the motet is usually sung by a female soprano. Soprano Alexandra Nowakowski, a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, is appearing courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera, where she is covering roles in Verdi's Don Carlo and Puts' The Hours.

Pianist Clayton Stephenson performs the Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, a passionate yet intimate concerto where orchestra and piano are equal partners. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Clayton Stephenson's youthful, exuberant playing earned him recognition in 2015 when he won prizes at the Cliburn Junior International Piano Competition. In 2016 he won prizes at the Cooper International Piano Competition and From the Top's Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. He received a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist Award, which is presented every two years to the most promising U.S.-based pianists, age 22 and younger. Completing the program is Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, which foreshadows the incipient Romantic movement and has influenced many future composers.

A two-time recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Joshua Hong graduated in 2020 from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and served as Music Director of the Campanile Orchestra and appeared in performance regularly with the Shepherd School Orchestras. He previously served as Music Director of the Baltimore-based Occasional Symphony and Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.

In 2019, Joshua guest conducted the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in two education concerts. He has served as cover conductor for three classical subscription weeks in St. Louis and two subscription weeks with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Joshua holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Juilliard School and a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from Peabody Conservatory. .

Tickets are available at www.SymphonyinC.org or by calling 856-963-6683. Price range is $24 - $51. Wheelchair accessible.

Symphony in C performances and programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Holman Automotive Group, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, South Jersey Charitable Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, and Subaru of America. Symphony in C is a member of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance (SJCA).

About Symphony in C:

Symphony in C is the Mid-Atlantic region's only orchestra for talented young musicians as they transition from student to professional. Members are selected by competitive annual auditions in New York and Philadelphia. Over 100 Symphony in C alumni can be found in the world's great orchestras. Others have embarked on careers as conductors or solo artists. Performing at the Gordon Theater at Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts in Camden, New Jersey, Symphony in C serves the Greater Delaware Valley through its critically-acclaimed concert series, educational outreach programs and radio broadcasts. Symphony in C has been designated a Major Arts Institution by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and strives to continue making artistic, educational, and economic impact on a regional, national and global scale.

To post a comment, you must register and login.