Posted December 29, 2018
DAYTON, OH (December 29, 2018) – On Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 8:00 pmin the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present the fourth concert in the 2018–2019 Premier Health Masterworks Series, entitled Griminelli: Flautista Italiano. The DPO is thrilled to welcome renowned flutist Andrea Griminelli to the stage for this performance. Additional support for this performance is provided by Teresa J. Huber.
Netherlands 1777: Wealthy surgeon and amateur flutist Ferdinand De Jean engages 21-year-old composer W. A. Mozart to write a range of flute music for his own diversion. While Mozart reportedly was no great fan of the flute, he did enjoy the idea of 200 gulden in his pocket.
Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, completed as part of the commission, finds the composer in a very breezy, lighthearted mood. But don’t be fooled; this is truly one of the major works for flute and orchestra. It is sure to shine brightly under the loving care of our guest soloist, the masterful Andrea Griminelli.
Andrea Griminelli is preceded by an impressive résumé. His sensitive interpretations and astonishing technique have earned accolades and awards from every corner of the musical world, including the Grammy, the Prix de Paris and even an Italian Knighthood. With a 34-year career as a soloist, Mr. Griminelli has performed at La Scala and Carnegie Hall and with such luminaries as Carl-Maria Giulini, Zubin Mehta, and Sir Roger Norrington. He has performed in concert and collaborated on projects with famed Italian vocalist Andrea Bocelli.
Earlier in his career in 1984, at the age of 25, Mr. Griminelli was invited by Luciano Pavarotti to perform in the now famous concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. This performance marked the start of a collaboration between these two great artists that spanned 200 concerts, including performances at London’s Hyde Park, New York’s Central Park, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Red Square, Moscow.
First, though, the program begins with a spotlight on a little black-and-white bird, the subject of so many myths and stories, and—in the case of La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie)—the star of its own opera, written by the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini. The opera’s popular overture opens the program.
After intermission, it is the orchestra’s turn to really shine. Many fine European composers found themselves immigrating to the U.S. during World War II. Hungarian-born Béla Bartók and his wife arrived in New York in 1940. Beset by precarious finances and homesickness, Bartók never felt fully at home in his new country. His body failing from the onset of leukemia, he nonetheless produced a final set of masterpieces—including the brilliant Concerto for Orchestra.
Tickets for Griminelli: Flautista Italiano begin at $12 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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