The Conway Symphony Orchestra is proud to present the fourth and final formal concert of its 2004-05 season at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 22, at Reynolds Performance Hall.The concert, titled ?Love is in the Air,? will feature music from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, the world premiere of Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Marimba and Orchestra by Paul Dickinson, and Scheherazade by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This program is underwritten by the Ralph Behrens Performing Arts Fund.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased through UCA Ticket Central at www.uca.edu/tickets or by calling (501) 450-3265 or toll free (866) 810-0012 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday.
The program will open with selections from Leonard Bernstein?s acclaimed musical West Side Story. The story of Tony and Maria, based on Shakespeare?s Romeo and Juliet, has become a classic love tale in its own right, and audience favorites such as ?Tonight,? ?Cool,? ?America? and ?Somewhere? will be featured in this overture-length medley.
Marimbist Blake Tyson will then perform the world premiere of UCA composer Paul Dickinson?s new marimba concerto, titled Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Marimba and Orchestra. The melody for this virtuoso work is taken from the theme to Paganini?s 24 Caprices for Violin, the same tune used by Rachmaninoff for his famous variations for piano and orchestra.
The musical program will conclude with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov?s beautiful and spectacular symphonic poem, Scheherazade. Based on the 1001 Arabian Nights, it is the tale of a young girl who is promised to a Persian Sultan as his wife for one night.
As described by the composer, ?the Sultan Schariar, convinced of the falseness and faithlessness of women, vowed to kill each of his wives after their bridal night. The Sultana Scheherazade, however, saved her life by interesting the Sultan in the stories she told him during 1001 nights. In his curiosity for the sequels to her stories, the Sultan postponed Scheherazade?s execution from day to day until he finally abandoned his plan altogether.? In the music itself, Scheherazade is depicted by the solo violin (performed by Dr. Linda Hsu) as she spins out each new story.
For more info about the concert, contact the Conway Symphony Orchestra at (501) 269-1066.
