The Knox Galesburg Symphony’s 68th season opens with “Dance, Dance Revolution” on October 19th, 2019, at 7:30 pm in Galesburg’s Orpheum Theatre. Last year’s Season, “The Search,” ended with a stunning performance under the direction of Vlad Vizireanu, one of four candidates for the then-vacant position of Music Director for the KGS. Based on this performance, audience and orchestra feedback, and evaluation of his conducting and professionalism, Vlad was awarded the position. We could not be happier to have Vlad joining the KGS, which is why we are celebrating the start of our Masterworks Season with dance.
“Dance, Dance Revolution” includes 3 standout and extremely varied symphonic dance works which demonstrate the full range of your orchestra’s abilities. The program opens with Bartók’s “Romanian Dances for String Orchestra,” putting the spotlight on our strings section. This collection of 6 dances, all of which last about 1 minute or less, contains several extremely fast and exciting dances, as well as moments of haunting beauty that are almost unsettling.
After the bustle and excitement of Bartók’s “Romanian Dances,” Debussy’s “Danse Sacrée et Profane” is sure to relax and intrigue. The piece features the remarkable skills of Jordan Thomas, harp soloist, who played with the KGS last Season on the same concert for which Vlad Vizireanu served as guest conductor. Jordan has received national recognition for his abilities, and currently holds the prestigious position of Principal Harpist for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the city where he resides. “Danse Sacrée et Profane,” composed just over a century ago, features 2 movements that truly maximize the potential of the harp as an instrument. While many think of the harp as having a fairly one-dimensional sound, this piece demonstrates that a harpist as skilled as Jordan can in fact produce sounds that are both sacred and profane.
Closing our first Masterworks program is Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” a piece that is well-deserving of its fame and reputation. The piece explores every facet of the word dance, from the frantic to the serene, with moments that will surely make you want to leap out of your seat and find the nearest dance floor, as well as moments of sheer beauty. Few composers have written melodies as memorable as Rachmaninoff’s, and your orchestra can not wait to bring these worldly sounds to the community.
Tickets start at just $20, and subscriptions for the full season (starting at $78) are still available! Call us at (309)341-7268 or visit https://www.kgsymphony.org for more information. KGS performances are made possible through the generous support of donors and community members. Contact us at the number above if you would like to be more involved.
***Report Courtesy of the Knox Galesburg Symphony***
