Left to right: Jay Kaufman, Lexington Symphony board member; Epp Sonin, Lexington Symphony president and board chair; Joyce Vyriotes, communications director, Cummings Foundation; and Virginia Hecker, Lexington Symphony executive director, at a reception for Cummings Foundation grantees in June. Courtesy photo
September 8, 2014, Lexington, MA. Lexington Symphony, a premiere professional orchestra based in the greater Boston area, will open its 2014–2015 20th-anniversary season on Saturday, September 20th with “Estonian Night,” a concert featuring the work of renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
Estonian pianist Diana Liiv will perform Pärt’s Lamentate as a special guest at Lexington Symphony’s 2014-2015 season opener on September 20th.Photo: Kaupo Kikkas
As a featured guest for the evening, the Symphony will welcome pianist and fellow Estonian Diana Liiv, who will perform Pärt’s Lamentate for piano and orchestra.
Pärt’s Für Alina, Für Anna Maria, and Variations for the Healing of Arinushka for piano, Tabula Rasa for solo violin, viola, and string orchestra with prepared piano will also be presented.
Estonian composer Eduard Tubin’s Dance Suite will offer an engaging introduction to folk dances of the region, while the heroic Karelia Suite by Finland’s celebrated composer Jean Sibelius — inspired by the Finnish legends of The Kalevala, a 19th-century work of epic poetry — will round out the evening.
As a prelude to the Symphony’s season opener, Liiv will perform piano works by Pärt and Liszt at a salon event in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Thursday, September 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for this event are $125 per person or $200 per couple; proceeds will benefit Lexington Symphony, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information on the salon event or to RSVP, please contact Samantha Wade at swade@lexingtonsymphony.org or 781-523-9009.
Lexington Symphony board chair and president, Epp Sonin, with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt at Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra event at Carnegie Hall in May.Photo by Eleri Ever
A concert featuring Diana Liiv at the Estonian House in New York is also planned for Sunday, September 21st.
Under the direction of Music Director Jonathan McPhee and Board Chair and President, Epp Sonin, Lexington Symphony has become an important and ever-growing part of the cultural fabric of Lexington, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities in the metrowest area of Boston.
A professional orchestra of devoted musicians who share a passion for classical music, a commitment to community engagement, and a dedication to exacting standards of performance, the Symphony maintains a grass-roots community spirit while producing high-quality performances that attract an expansive audience.
Earlier this year, the Symphony received a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation, one of largest grantmaking foundations in New England. “We are delighted to support very worthy nonprofits like Lexington Symphony that are working tirelessly for the benefit of the people they serve,” says Cummings Foundation Executive Director Joel Swets. “Lexington Symphony is a premier New England orchestra,” concurs Charles Coe, program officer of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Lexington Symphony Music Director Jonathan McPhee is equally at home as a conductor for the symphony, ballet, and opera. In addition to being the Music Director for Lexington Symphony, he also serves as Music Director for Symphony NH and Boston Ballet Orchestra. Courtesy photo
Programming for Lexington Symphony’s landmark 20th season features musical tour de forces from around the globe. Highlights include a collaborative performance with New World Chorale of English composer Sir Edward Elgar’s stunning choral masterpiece Dream of Gerontius — heard only twice in Boston in the past 28 years; Tchaikovsky’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 1; and Mendelssohn’s boisterous “Italian” Symphony No. 4. “This memorable season features masterpieces from countries like Estonia, England, and Russia; educational concerts for young people; and fun for the whole family,” says Music Director Jonathan McPhee.
Subscriptions and individual concert tickets can be purchased online at www.lexingtonsymphony.org or by telephone at 781-523-9009.
Lexington Symphony is a professional orchestra of devoted musicians who share a passion for classical music, a commitment to community engagement, and a dedication to exacting standards of performance. Offering six concerts each season in Lexington, the Symphony reaches thousands of area youth annually with its award-winning educational outreach program for third and fourth graders, Orchestrating Kids Through Classics.
