By Randi Bjornstad
About now, we all probably could do with some “newness” of a more positive kind in the world, which makes it a perfect time for the Eugene Symphony to fill the Silva Concert Hall with the sounds of Antonin Dvořák’s New World Symphony.
Besides that well-known and beloved music, the Eugene Symphony also will feature the West Coast premiere of guest conductor Carlos Izcaray’s Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey, with guest pianist Soyeon Kate Lee at the keyboard.
If that weren’t enough, between the Izcaray and the Dvořák, the orchestra will perform Frederic Chopin’s Concerto No. 2, again with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee.
Venezuelan-born Izcaray knows about immigration. He has emigrated four times in his life, and musically describes the the stories of immigrants, their importance in history, and what he calls the “magical moment we all feel when arriving at a new land.”
Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, also has an immigrant theme that reflects the many people he encountered from other lands when he spent two years living in New York City.
Eugene Symphony plays Izcaray, Chopin, and Dvořák
When: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022
Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (7th and Willamette streets), Eugene
Tickets: $10 to $68, available at the Hult Center box office, 541-682-5000, or online at eugenesymphony.org
Special events:
• Piano Master Class with Soyeon Kate Lee: Wednesday, March 16, 3:30 pm, in The Studio at the Hult Center. This event is free and open to the public.
• Ticketed Dress Rehearsal, New World Symphony: Wednesday, March 16, 7:30 pm, the Hult Center. As the final rehearsal in the preparation process, all works will be performed in order and the conductor may return to refine certain sections of the music. Tickets $10-$62.
• Eugene Symphony Guild Pre-Concert Talk: Thursday, March 17, 6:30 pm, in Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center, with guest conductor Carlos Izcaray and guest pianist Soyeon Kate Lee.
