April 16, 2011             8 pm
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
Free pre-concert discussion starts 1 hour before concert

Conducted by Michael Hall

Our last Classical concert of our 50th Anniversary season will feature a second world premiere. James Stephenson, composer and arranger, has created a piece especially for Principal Flutist William Larsen. Stephenson's work has been described as "a fresh and energizing soundscape that delights the audience while maintaining integrity and worthwhile challenges for the performing musicians."

Also included in MasterWorks #5 is the romantic Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn and the featured piece of the evening, Symphony no.2, by the Finnish nationalist, Jean Sibelius.

Sibelius' Symphony no. 2, with its noble finale, is commonly associated with the struggle for Finland's independence, sometimes being referred to as the "Symphony of Independence," for it was written at a time of Russian sanctions on Finnish language and culture.

Sibelius was deeply involved in the struggle to keep Finland free from the rule of Tsarist Russia. The authorities banned many of his works because the populace found them "too inspiring." Even when he was not explicitly protesting oppression, Sibelius wrote music strongly tied to his homeland and its traditions, giving those in power cause for alarm. 

MENDELSSOHN: Hebrides Overture
STEPHENSON: Pandora’s Waltz – a concerto for flute (William Larsen, soloist)
SIBELIUS: Symphony no. 2