The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra Prepares to
Bid “Farewell” to Winter, March 29
SSO Timeless features classical masterpieces that have withstood the test of time
Sudbury, ON March 24: What do the snow and Sudbury Symphony Orchestra have in common? Both should shortly be pulling disappearing acts as the Orchestra presents one of its more unique musical experiences with the “Farewell” Symphony this Saturday evening.
Franz Joseph Haydn wrote his Symphony No. 45, nicknamed the “Farewell” Symphony, as a subtle form of labour protest after a longer than usual summer kept Haydn and his musicians from returning home to their families. The Farewell Symphony was their way of telling their employer it was time to leave, with orchestra members leaving the stage a few at a time, until only two members remain. After our unusually long winter, many of the musicians playing will surely be hoping they can deliver the same message to Old Man Winter and all the snow piled up around the city.
“This is probably one of the only pieces in classical music- if not the only piece- where members of the Orchestra will leave the auditorium before the audience,” SSO Executive Director Dawn Cattapan stated. “The choreography and disappearing orchestra adds a fun element to the music and is worth coming for on its own.”
Sheng Cai, an award winning young pianist, will kick off the 8 p.m. performance with Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 under the direction of Maestro Victor Sawa. This brilliant showpiece will have the musicians of the SSO performing a work guaranteed to excite the audience as it moves between raging fury and delicate melodies. With this concerto, Liszt achieved one of his major artistic goals -- to extend the expression and tone of the piano to the full limits of possibilities.
A rising romantic virtuoso, Cai immigrated from China to Toronto with his family when he was just eleven years old. Turning heads almost immediately with his skill at the piano, he won competition after competition, becoming the youngest person ever to win both the Toronto and Montreal Symphony piano contests. Just over a decade after arriving in Canada, he has been praised for his expressive style and now makes his Sudbury Symphony debut.
Tickets for the March 29 “SSO Timeless: Sheng Cai Plays Liszt” begin at $13, and are available by phoning the SSO at 705.673.1280 or online at sudburysymphony.com.
The concert begins a period of excitement for the SSO. Prior to Saturday’s concert, the Orchestra will release its highly anticipated 14.15 season. The following week, the SSO will present “Perfect Pairings;” a concert series at Fromagerie Elgin (5 Cedar Street) which played to a sold-out audience last year.
About the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra:
Performing a 6 concert season annually, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra is recognized as one of Sudbury’s leading performing arts institutions and a leader in orchestral music in Northern Ontario. Tickets are available online at sudburysymphony.com or by phoning the box office at 705.673.1280.
Founded in 1953, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra’s mission is to increase the awareness and appreciation of music in the Sudbury Region and surrounding area by providing the opportunity for the public to attend a stimulating program of concerts and by encouraging artistic excellence, commitment and education. The Season Presenting Sponsor is Petryna Advertising. The Amped Up! Program is presented by Vale. The SSO is grateful for the support of its government funding partners: The Ontario Arts Council and the City of Greater Sudbury.
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