The North Carolina Symphony returns to Southern Pines with one of Mozart’s most genius creations and an award-winning violin soloist, on February 12 at 8 pm at Pinecrest High School.

Under the baton of Associate Conductor Wesley Schulz, NCS will perform Mozart’s astonishing Symphony No. 40, one of the three crowning jewels of his orchestral output. Composed at the end of his tragically short life, this symphony looks forward to the passionately charged music of the 19th century’s Romantic era, while epitomizing the structural elegance of the Classical era. From the urgent murmurs of its opening theme to the irrepressible energy and jubilation of the finale, it was unlike any other that came before it. 

Joining as soloist in his debut performance with NCS is Richard Lin, recipient of the Gold Medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, a prestigious competition aimed to promote the world’s top young classical violinists. Lin will perform the Violin Concerto in D Minor by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius—conjuring the stark Nordic landscape that Sibelius evokes in the first movement, the lush romance of the second movement, and the robust dance of the finale—once called a “polonaise for polar bears.”

Composed during an especially challenging time in Sibelius’ life, darkness and beauty coexist in this work in a way that separates it from any other violin concerto. NCS violinist Bob Anemone notes that is one of his favorite works for violin and orchestra. “Much of its magnificent beauty comes from its eccentricity,” says Anenome. “While it certainly has elements of a traditional romantic concerto, Sibelius constantly asks the musicians to play in quirky, counterintuitive ways and often pits the soloist and orchestra against each other, making for a piece that is as unique as it is captivating.”

The program opens with another work by Finland’s most famous composer, his Valse triste. Sibelius wrote this music to accompany a scene from a play written by his brother-in-law, in which the main character is at the bedside of his dying mother and falls asleep. As he sleeps, Death comes and claims his victim, waltzing her away into the night.

This evening includes a Meet the Artist event—offering audiences the opportunity to hear from the artists themselves and learn additional background information on the music—at 7 pm in the Pinecrest High School Band Room.

Tickets begin at $18, and are available for purchase online at ncsymphony.org, by phone at 877.627.6724, or in person at The Country Bookshop, Campbell House, or Tufts Archives. 

For more information, click here.

Feature photo: Richard Lin, Gold Medal winner of the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, joins the North Carolina Symphony for a February 12 concert. 

 

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