Page 34 - Southern Exposure - March '22

Page 34, Southern Exposure

SymphoNy NewS

Maria João Pires Joins Palm Beach Symphony For

An Unforgettable Evening Of Beethoven And Mahler

Palm Beach Symphony presents two masterworks of childhood gaiety,
that deliver all the passion, poetry and drama of classical dramatic tension and
music as acclaimed pianist Maria João Pires makes a rare ultimately serene
American appearance with Music Director Gerard Schwarz heavenly deliverance.
at the podium in a program of Beethoven and Mahler on “Mahler’s pieces
Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the often are characterized
Performing Arts. as big, long, heavy
“Maria Pires is one of the more extraordinary pianists and loud, but not this
especially for Mozart and Beethoven,” said Maestro one,” said Maestro
Schwarz. “I’ve worked with her numerous times at the Schwarz. “This one is
Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Her playing was the shortest and offers
always exquisite, poignant, very thoughtful and heartfelt.” more of a chamber
Maria João Pires will perform Beethoven’s Piano music feel with a lovely
Concerto No. 3, a piece the composer wrote for himself soprano solo in the last
fueled by his excitement for the evolution the piano was movement. In a way, Gerard Schwarz, Palm Beach Symphony, Photo by
experiencing at the time. Of her performance of the work it’s one of Mahler’s IndieHouse Films
with Kent Nagano conducting the Montreal Symphony more Mozartian
Orchestra, The New York Times reported she is “…an symphonies.” Maria Joao Pires, Photo by May Praised by South Florida Classical Review for her
elegant technician and probing interpreter without a trace of South Florida Zircus “rich color palette” and “deft high range,” Finke has
flashiness. Her playing of the Beethoven concerto showed Classical Review performed with Frost Opera Theater as a featured soloist
that a performance can be both refined and bracing.” named Maestro Schwarz and the Frost Symphony in excerpts of John Adams’ El Niño and in the roles of
In addition to her concerts, Pires has made recordings Orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 one Geraldine from Barber’s A Hand of Bridge and Noelle
for Erato for 15 years and Deutsche Grammophon for 20 of the top ten performances of 2021. He is the music director from Leanna Kirchoff’s Scrapbookers. She will graduate
years. Since the 1970s, she has devoted herself to reflecting of the Frost Symphony Orchestra and the Distinguished with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the
the influence of art in life, community and education, trying Professor of Music, Conducting and Orchestral Studies at Frost School of Music in May.
to discover new ways of establishing this way of thinking University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. He is also Recent Kennedy Center Honor Awardee for Lifetime
in society. In 1999, she created the Belgais Centre for the the music director of the Eastern Music Festival and Mozart Artistic Achievement Midori will join Palm Beach
Study of the Arts in Portugal and, in 2012, she initiated two Orchestra of New York as well as Conductor Laureate of the Symphony in a season finale of three Palm Beach
complementary projects in Belgium: the Partitura Choirs, a Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Symphony premieres on April 10.
project which creates and develops choirs for children from Mostly Mozart Festival. He recently released a recording The concert is sponsored by Patrick and Milly Park.
disadvantaged backgrounds, and the Partitura Workshops. of Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 with the New York Chamber Peter M. Gottsegen, The Lachman Family Foundation,
In the concert’s second half, Palm Beach Symphony Symphony and his extensive catalogue of more than 350 Patrick and Milly Park, Felicia Taylor/The Mary Hilem
will be joined by soprano Emily Finke as it adds Mahler’s recordings includes The Gerard Schwarz Collection, a 30-
Symphony No. 4 to its repertoire with its sleigh bells CD box set. Symphony News on page 35

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Impact the Palm Beaches

Annual Impact Award Ceremony

Grant Finalist Presentation

Thursday, April 28, 2022

5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

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To learn more visit ImpactPalmBeaches.org