July 3, 2023

The first concert of Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra of 2023 in now in the books. We opened our season with Strauss’s  iconic“Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks” “Umoja” of Valerie Coleman and  Haydn’s Symphony 100 "The “Military.”
 
To say this was an auspicious beginning would be an understatement. A week ago, these 83 people didn’t even know each other and tonight they came together in remarkable fashion to deliver a breathtaking and spirited “Till”…an uplifting and inspiring “Umoja” and a graceful and energized “Military”
 
If you will indulge me for a moment to wax, if not poetically, certainly in a most heart-felt manner about Ms. Coleman’s work “Umoja.” This is a important and powerful work of and from it’s time. The subtitle is “anthem of unity”…what more could we ask for from a composer in these times.? 
 
IMHO, “Umoja” is among that small handful of works of our today, along with Chris Theofanidis's “Rainbow Body” that, upon hearing, the listener says, “wait, what was that? What just happened there? And can I do that again, like right now?” “Umoja” is a powerful, inspiring ,and uplifting work.

It was interesting to me that, in speaking with some "younger people" in the audience, that cherished demographic of arts organizations, that "Umoja" was their favorite work on the program. Could it be that composers like Ms. Coleman have found their audience? Could it be that music of our time is finding its time? Looking at the programming trends of the Metropolitan Opera and other significant arts organizations suggests this may very well be the case. 
 
Next for me comes up quickly, as in Thursday night, with the Chautauqua Symphony, two 20th Century works-- music of Florence Price and Stravinsky. I'm looking forward to it!

#chautauquainstituion #valeriecoleman



NEXT UP
 
Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
July 6, 2023 8:15 p.m.
Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
 
FLORENCE PRICE         Symphony No. 1
IGOR STRAVINSKY       Firebird Suite (1919)