The 2012-2013 Season

The ECU Symphony Orchestra 2012 – 2013 season welcomes outstanding artists performing a variety of interesting and powerful works for orchestra. Maestro Richter will lead the orchestra in a season of six symphony orchestra performances in Greenville at Wright Auditorium on the ECU campus, including a world première, and concerts with the orchestral composition and concerto competition winners. In addition, the orchestra will perform in Goldsboro, Tarboro and Virginia Beach.

All ECU Symphony concerts in Greenville are free and open to the public. Performances are in ECU’s Wright Auditorium starting at 7:30 p.m.

Debussy, Rota & Prokofiev

This year’s season opener is September 22. The concert starts with the Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune by Claude Debussy, followed by Nino Rota’s Bassoon Concerto with guest soloist Christopher Ulffers and Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 in C sharp minor, Opus 131.

A Tribute to Haydn

The October 20 concert highlights the music of 18th century composer Joseph Haydn, including his Il Mondo della Luna Overture and the Symphony No. 31 “Hornsignal.” This concert also features the ECU Choirs in a collaboration with the orchestra on Haydn’s “Nelson” Mass, with guest conductor Andrew Crane and guest soloists Rachel Copeland, Jami Rhodes, Perry Smith and John Kramar.

This concert will be repeated October 21 at the Paramount Theatre in Goldsboro.

Joining Forces

The November 17 concert is marked by the combined forces of the ECU Symphony and The Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts Orchestra. Maestro Richter will lead the combined orchestras on Manuel de Falla’s El Sombrero de 3 Picos, maestro Jeffrey Phelps will lead Maurice Ravel’s La Valse and maestro Steve Coxe György conducts Ligeti’s Atmospheres.

This concert will be repeated November 18 at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach.

Music From the Americas

The February 16 concert features ECU violinist Hye-Jin Kim performing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto with the ECU Symphony Orchestra. Works by Brazilian composers Carlos Gomes and Heitor Villa-Lobos are featured as well, with Gomes’ Il Guarany Overture and Villa-Loboss’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2.

NewMusic@ECU Festival

On March 23, the orchestra continues its long relationship with the NewMusic@ECU Festival with a performance of the winning composition of the 2012 – 2013 ECU School of Music Orchestral Composition Competition. In addition, the orchestra will premiere ECU composer and NewMusic@ECU Festival Director Edward Jacobs’ Violin Concerto, with violinist Ara Gregorian. Also in the program Chen Yi’s Sprout and Augusta Read Thomas’ Radiant Circles.

Orchestral Favorites

The season concludes April 20 with “Orchestral Favorites,” including Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dances Nos. 5 & 6 and Peter I. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Opus 64. This concert will also feature Cameron Collins, winner of the 2012 – 2013 ECU Concerto Competition.

This performance will be repeated April 21 at Keihin Auditorium, Edgecombe Community College, Tarboro, as part of the Edgecombe Performance Series.