You are invited to an evening of exotic music performed by the sixty plus community members of South Shore Orchestra, which will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of American Armenian/Scottish composer Alan Hovhaness. This will be the second concert of SSO’s Global Expressions season and the music once again, promises to be stunning, diverse and designed to enlighten and entertain the audience with cultural and historical insights through intriguing sounds and beautiful music orchestration.
Joining the orchestra to deliver Exotic Overtones from Hovhaness, will be guest soloist, soprano Natalie Mann, an impressive recitalist who travels from New York to Chicago and California, performing with major symphonies as well as opera companies. In her solo Carnegie Hall debut in February, 2011 critic Abigail Wright refers to her “brilliantly sustained legato, undeniably stunning high notes, and impressive quality of pitch and tone." She will perform Avak the Healer.
Other guest performers will include Harlan Bjornstad of Valparaiso, a diversely talented musician who will perform a series of Greek folk songs adding the ewi—electric harmonica—to the synthesis of Hovhaness symphonic sound.
Continuing the focus of Global Expressions, guest musicians from the Zhejiang Performance Troupe of China will also perform with SSO using traditional Chinese instruments. Tenor Shengmin Yan, will offer an operatic piece to compliment the Hovhaness program. Yan performed with SSO on their China Adventure Concert Tour in 2009. The Chinese performers are being sponsored by the Confucius Institute of Beijing, China as part of their Great Lakes Music Festival, also that weekend in Valparaiso at VU.
Hovhaness’ interest in music from diverse cultures results in a mysterious and often contemplative mood. Conductor Troy Webdell was attracted to the spiritual nature of his music, adding that “Hovhaness is one of the only composers to actively use styles from so many cultures--Europe, Asia, India, Greek, Armenian, Middle Eastern culture—they all play a role in his development of compositions. Also considered to be one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century having composed over 500 works, he has seen a revival and new popularity to his lifetime work."
Webdell continues, ”Exotic Overtones expands on our Global Expressions theme by using Hovhaness' Greek and Armenian music as well as Mozart Symphony 40, which is one of his more exotic sounding compositions. The Chinese element works into the program theme as well. We look forward to providing a spectacular evening for our Valparaiso community as well as all shore communities of Northwest Indiana."
Join us Friday evening, October 14 at 7 PM at the Ivy Tech Auditorium Theater, an acoustically generous performance venue with ample, comfortable seating and easily accessible parking. Located at 3100 Ivy Tech Drive in Valparaiso, tickets can be purchased at the door before the performance. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $10 for Seniors and Students with ID. Tickets can be secured ahead of time by contacting Pete Brannen at petebrannen@hotmail.com or purchased at Old World Market.
You will be delighted you came and go home with a new appreciation for the skill and talent of so many of your neighbors and their special guest performers who gladly come to enjoy the incredible energy of this amazing group who makes it their mission to “orchestrate a musical community”.
South Shore Orchestra has once again been invited as guests of Confucius Institute of Beijing, China to embark on a New Year’s Concert Tour December 26-January 4, 2012. More information about the group and their programs, youth symphony and scholarship opportunity can be found at www.southshoreorchestra.com. More information about Alan Hovhannes can be found at www.hovhaness.com/