By Randi Bjornstad

It’s concert week at the Eugene Symphony, and the Feb. 17 program includes not only music but also art.

Maestro Francesco Lecce-Chong will be on the podium to conduct a program that includes:

  • Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes on Weber, augmented by projection of artwork by four Oregon visual artists, in cooperation with the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon;
  • Jennifer Higdon’s contemporary classical Viola Concerto, featuring guest violist Roberto Díaz;
  • Pavane by Gabriel Fauré, augmented by the “crowd-sourced choreography” of #instaballet, a group that creates an on-the-spot ballet based on audience suggestions; and
  • Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven, which personifies the impact that four notes can have on the entire world of music.

Guest violist Roberto Díaz solos at the symphony’s February concert

The added features are part of the Eugene Symphony’s “C3 Initiative,” which explores how music and art bring people together in new and exciting ways. “C3” stands for Creativity—Connection—Community, an effort that symphony music director and conductor Lecce-Chong defines as “engaging elements that highlight the fundamental human drive to share our experiences.”

As usual, there will be a Symphony Guild pre-concert talk starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Silva Concert Hall, featuring Lecce-Chong and Díaz talking about the evening’s music.

After the concert is finished, Lecce-Chong will be joined onstage  by Antonio Anacan of the #instaballet group, Danielle Knapp of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and Scott Freck, executive director of the Eugene Symphony, for a post-concert chat.

Dress rehearsal concert

For those who aren’t quite ready to venture out for the full concert experience, there is a day-before, ticketed dress rehearsal on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Silva Concert Hall. The program is the same as the “real” concert, but the musicians are in casual dress and it’s a last-minute run-through to make sure that the conductor and the players are — so to speak — on the same page. Participation is limited to a maximum audience of 250 people, seated with social distancing in mind.

Tickets: $10 to $68, available at the Hult Center box office, 541-682-5000, or online at eugenesymphony.org or hultcenter.org

COVID Protocol

Proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, taken within 48 hours of the event, is required to enter the Hult Center for this event. Please be prepared to show documentation or vaccination status or negative COVID test result, along with valid I.D., upon arrival. No exceptions. Masks are required within the building when not eating and drinking. Starting with our February concert, we are also testing Eugene Symphony musicians and staff. More information can be found on the Hult Center’s website at hultcenter.org.