July 16, 2024

The Chautauqua Institution's Music School Festival Orchestra kicked off our 2024 season last night. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the annual gathering called the Chautauqua Institution, so we opened the program with Roger Brigg’s evocative work “Gathering Together.” We used this work for a slightly similar occasion in the Lansing Symphony, namely the first concert after Covid lockdowns, to celebrate gathering again. It was wonderful to revisit this work in somewhat less extraordinary times (if there is such a thing).
 
The music is inspired by a poem by Patricia Goedicke called “The People Gathering Together”. We were thrilled to have the #1 NY Times best-selling author of over 40 books, poet and Emmy winner, Kwame Alexander join us on stage for a beautiful reading of the poem prior to the orchestral performance. Kwame is the Artistic Advisor of Literary Arts at CHQ, and having him there made it a very “Chautauqua” moment, celebrating not only gathering, but also interdisciplinary artistic connections which are one of the hallmarks of the place.
 
The program continued with a Haydn symphony, beautifully conducted by my conducting fellow, Sam Hollister. We finished with Elgar’s Enigma Variations. The orchestra was in fine form for just one week together and sounded glorious all night. A shout-out also to CHQ’s Director of Religious Music and Organist Joshua Stafford who joined us on the fabulous Massey Organ for the Elgar.
 
I’ll be with the Chautauqua Symphony next, in just two days, a colorful program of Spanish and Spanish-inspired music.
 
NEXT UP
 
July 18, 2024
 
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
8:15 p.m.
Bockyun Byun, Guitar
 
RAVEL  Alborado del Gracioso
RODRIGO Concierto de Aruanjez
FALLA  Suite No. 2 from “Three Cornered Hat”
CHABRIER “España”

#chautauquainstitution #kwamealexander #joshuastafford
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