Symphony San Jose Presents AMERICAN PORTRAITS, December 2- 3

Symphony San Jose presents five musical postcards depicting the vast beauty and diverse character of our nation: Ives' patriotic celebration from New England, Still's soulful southern soliloquy, Midkiff's Blue Ridge Mountain tribute, Shaw's homage to the fragrant orange groves of our home state, and Copland's famous western masterpiece.

This is the first appearance of a mandolin as a solo instrument on our series, and Midkiff's concerto (performed by the composer himself), is full of foot-stomping, toe-tapping, virtuosic electricity that's just great fun to hear.

Symphony San Jose presents AMERICAN PORTRAITS, to take place Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 7:30pm and Sunday, December 3, 2023 at 2:30pm at The California Theatre, 345 South First Street, downtown San Jose, 95113. Convenient, inexpensive parking is available at a city-owned garage one-and-a-half blocks from the theater at San Carlos Street with entrances on Second and Third streets. 

THE PROGRAM:

Charles Ives: Variations on “America”

William Grant Still: Darker America

Jeff Midkiff:  Mandolin Concerto (From the Blue Ridge)

Caroline Shaw: Valencia

Aaron Copland: Rodeo

 

ARTISTS

Christopher Rountree conductor

Christopher Rountree is an American conductor known for founding the Los Angeles chamber group Wild Up, an ensemble that blends new music, classical repertoire, performance art and pop. Wild Up was named "Best Classical Music of 2012" by the Los Angeles Times.

 

Soloist: Jeff Midkiff, mandolin

Midkiff's Mandolin Concerto, “From the Blue Ridge,” was composed and premiered in 2011 for the Roanoke Symphony and their Music Director David Stewart Wiley. The piece has been performed by the Rochester Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Knoxville Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Williamsburg Symphony, Bryan Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, Symphony of Southeast Texas, Ohio Northern Symphony, Cal Poly Symphony, Carmel Symphony, Signature Symphony at TCC, Oak Ridge Symphony, Bryan Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, and the Yale Concert Band. Midkiff will make his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut performing the Concerto on July 23, 2023 at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Thomas Wilkins conducting.

 

SINGLE TICKET PRICES: $55 - $115

TICKETS: Phone: 408.286.2600  

Website: www.symphonysanjose.org  

Email: jmeyers@symphonysanjose.org

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