Featuring guest artist Daniel Hsu, a Cliburn International Piano Competition award winner
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French Connection features artist Daniel Hsu, a Cliburn International Piano Competition award winner.
The Symphony of Southeast Texas (SOST) just announced its second Classic Series concert, French Connection, which will be Nov. 12 and features award-winning pianist Daniel Hsu. Maestro Chelsea Tipton II leads SOST with music that “draws mightily on myth and imagery of tales from long ago.”
Hsu, a recent bronze-medal winner of the Cliburn International Piano Competition, is SOST’s featured artist for the concert. One of the most rigorous of competitions, Hsu won both the commissioned work and chamber music sections of the Cliburn International contest in 2017. He has had series of successes that have led to concerti performances with many of the world’s major orchestras.
The concert begins with Paul Dukas’ fanfare from the ballet “La Peri,” one of his best-known works. Heavily scored for brass, it is no wonder that this fanfare is frequently performed. Saint-Saëns’ “Piano Concerto No. 2” is a command force piece for the concert pianist featuring harmonics, melodic line, and textures that reflect his earliest musical impressions.
The concert continues with Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn.” Perhaps one of the best-known pieces heard today, it creates beautiful color imagery, inspired by poet Stephane Mallarme with a sensual setting in Greek and Roman mythology.
Igor Stravinsky concludes the concert with yet more mysticism and a folk tale, this time from Russia. “Firebird Suite” tells the tale of Prince Ivan and his struggles to escape by building tension with thunderous brass and percussion sound.
Single tickets are on sale with prices ranging from $33-$57 for the concert.
“Our deepest thanks go out to our concert sponsor, Rosine McFaddin Wilson and guest artist sponsor, Regina Rogers. Sponsors like this help the Symphony of Southeast Texas play a role in the education, entertainment, and cultural enrichment of all residents of Southeast Texas,” SOST stated.
The Symphony of Southeast Texas, celebrating its 70th season, is a regional, professional orchestra based in Beaumont. It performs a number of subscription concerts, educational programs and other events throughout Southeast Texas each year. SOST’s home base is the Julie Rogers Theatre in downtown Beaumont. The orchestra is composed of local musicians from the Beaumont vicinity, as well as many musicians from the Houston and Lake Charles areas.
For information on SOST’s concerts this season, check them out online at sost.org or call the Symphony Office at (409) 892-2257.