The Gustavus Symphony Orchestra
A decades-long tradition of including the arts as part of the renowned Nobel Conference continues as the Gustavus community celebrates 50 years of Nobel, October 7 & 8. The Nobel Conference Concert will be presented by the Gustavus Symphony with Ruth Lin, conductor and guest pianist Esther Wang at 8:00 p.m. on October 7 in Christ Chapel. Admission to the concert is free and the public is cordially invited to attend as the Symphony presents Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Rachmaninoff.
The Gustavus Symphony Orchestra will open the Nobel Concert with Antonin Dvorak’s Festival March, Op. 54a, B. 88. Dvorak, known for sharing his Czech heritage in much of his music, he was also greatly influenced by the music of the Americas, heard during his extended stays in the Midwest. The Festival March, a wonderful example of this blended music heritage, was composed in 1879 to commemorate the silver wedding anniversary of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth.
The concert will continue with A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture, Op. 21 by Felix Mendelssohn. Written in 1826 when Mendelssohn was only 17 years old, the “Overture” was inspired by his reading of Shakespeare’s masterwork and helped advance Mendelssohn’s reputation as one of the day’s finest (and certainly its youngest) composers.
Pianist Esther Wang will join the symphony and Dr. Lin on the stage for the final work of the evening, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s three-movement Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. As described by Dr. Lin, the concerto is “known for its lush and striking melodic themes, … (and) pays homage to the grand Romantic piano concerto tradition of Liszt and Tchaikovsky. It is now a staple of the piano and orchestral repertoire.”
Tuesday’s Nobel Conference Concert will begin at 8:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel on the Gustavus campus. Admission is free and tickets are not required. All are welcomed to Christ Chapel to enjoy the spectacular music of Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Rachmaninoff as performed by the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Ruth Lin and Pianist Esther Wang.