Submitted by the Evanston Symphony Orchestra
March is Women’s History Month and the Evanston Symphony Orchestra 2022-2023 subscription season theme, “Spotlight on Women Artists,” takes center stage April 2. The concert features both acclaimed pianist Kariné Poghosyan playing Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 and contemporary American composer Linda Robbins Coleman’s lyrical and energetic concert overture In Good King Charles’s Golden Days. Led by Music Director Lawrence Eckerling, the ESO will also perform Felix Mendelsohn’s Symphony No. 5 in D Major, the “Reformation” symphony.
The concert begins at 2:30 at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston.
“Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 has it all,” said Maestro Eckerling. “Supreme virtuosity, intimate tenderness, and a largeness in both feeling and scope that places this concerto in its well-deserved space as one of the most popular and brilliant piano concertos ever composed. And virtuoso pianist Kariné Poghosyan, this concert’s ‘female artist’, will keep you on the edge of your seats!”
Linda Robbins Coleman originally composed In Good King Charles’s Golden Days for a performance of George Bernard Shaw’s 1939 play of the same name at Drake University, which Coleman attended. It was premiered in 1995 by the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and has been played more than 100 times since by orchestras throughout the USA and Europe. The composition, which will begin the April 2 concert, was described as “a delicious blend of crisp colors and lovely lyricism” by a reviewer. Demand for the piece has increased significantly as the ascension of King Charles III to the British throne nears in May 2023.
Felix Mendelssohn’s music was banned by the Nazis because of his Jewish birth, though he actually converted to the Lutheran faith at age seven. His “Reformation” symphony honors Martin Luther and culminates in a setting of the famous Lutheran hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” It’s an appropriate piece the week before Easter.
“Every piece on this program is upbeat and energizing,” said ESO Board President Margaret Gergen. “It is a perfect group of selections for this time of year to underscore the exuberance and excitement of spring!”
Before the concert on March 31, Maestro Eckerling and Poghosyan will preview the program during “Musical Insights,” sponsored by The Merion, Evanston’s signature senior living experience. Eckerling will provide an insider’s tour of the history and highlights behind the Mendelssohn and Coleman pieces. Poghosyan will play selections from the Tchaikovsky concerto, and more. “Musical Insights” begins at 1:30 in the Crystal Ballroom at the Merion, 1611 Chicago Ave, Evanston. The program is free and open to the public, but please RSVP at 847-570-7815.