CONDUCTOR

Alexandra Arrieche, OSO Music Director and Conductor.

​

SOLOIST

Kristin Lee is a violinist of remarkable versatility and impeccable technique who enjoys a vibrant career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and artistic director. “Her technique is flawless, and she has a sense of melodic shaping that reflects an artistic maturity,” writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Strad reports, “She seems entirely comfortable with stylistic diversity, which is one criterion that separates the run-of-the-mill instrumentalists from true artists.” Read more about Kristin on her website.

​

MUSIC

The three composers presented on this program — Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Bernstein — wrote music inspired by Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo and Juliet.

 

We will explore Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Bernstein’s West Side Story in an unconventional “mashup” presentation, comparing how each composer envisioned various scenes of the story.

 

This will be followed by Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, which he composed at about the same time as his own Romeo and Juliet. 

 

The theme of prohibited love permeates this concert, both in literal programmatic representations (Prokofiev and Bernstein) and in the inspiration of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Tchaikovsky intended to dedicate this concerto to his partner, but relented to the societal pressure to disguise his homosexuality. This poignant, reflective concert will conclude with a very special unannounced encore that you will not want to miss.

​

About the artwork (“Color the Season” winner)

• A Blue Bossa Nova Summer by Nancy Farrar-Coughlin

• Medium: Acrylics on stretched canvas over wood

• Artist Statement: While painting outside in my garden on a warm summer solstice afternoon, I was listening to my favorite jazz, Bossa Nova. The music and summer heat inspired this piece.