Columbus Symphony Announces Ticket Deals for Beethoven Marathon

Conducted by CSO Associate Conductor Peter Stafford Wilson, this all-Beethoven evening offers not only an orchestral concert bookended by two exciting symphonies, but also three additional events to enrich the audience's experience-chamber music performances before and after the concert as well as an illuminating, pre-concert lecture. The chamber recitals and the ingenious "Triple" concerto will showcase the talent of the CSO's own-Alicia Hui, violin; Luis Biava, cello; and Caroline Hong, piano.

6 pm - Chamber music performance

Beethoven: Quintet for Piano and Winds

7 pm - Pre-concert lecture

WOSU's Christopher Purdy talks all things Beethoven

8 pm - Concert

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2

Beethoven: Concerto in C Major

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

10 pm - Chamber music performance

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14

The Columbus Symphony presents the Beethoven Marathon at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) on Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12. Doors open at 5:30 pm with performances beginning at 6 pm. The main concert will begin at 8 pm. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. The CAPA Ticket Center will also be open two hours prior to each performance.

The 2016-17 Masterworks Series is made possible through the generous support of season sponsor Anne Melvin.

About composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was a crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, and today remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Born in Bonn, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age, and moved to Vienna at the age of 21 to begin studying composition with Joseph Haydn. There he gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and remained in Vienna until his death. By his late 20s, his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life, he was almost totally deaf. In 1811, he gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose. Many of his most admired works come from the last 15 years of his life.

Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16

Written in 1796, this quintet, scored for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon, is alleged to be inspired by Mozart's Quintet, K. 452 (1784), which has the same scoring and is also in E-flat.

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36

Beethoven's Second Symphony was mostly written during his stay at Heiligenstadt in 1802, at a time when his deafness was becoming more pronounced and he began to realize that it might be incurable. The work was premiered in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on April 5, 1803, and was conducted by the composer. It is one of the last works of Beethoven's so-called "early period."

Concerto in C Major for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orchestra, Op. 56 ("Triple Concerto")

Beethoven's Triple Concerto was composed in 1803 and published in 1804. The choice of the three solo instruments effectively makes this a concerto for piano trio, and it is the only concerto Beethoven ever completed for more than one solo instrument.

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

Beethoven composed this work between 1811 and 1812 while improving his health in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice. At its premiere, he was noted as remarking that it was one of his best works. The second movement, Allegretto, was the most popular and had to be encored.

String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp, Op. 131

Completed in 1826, this was Beethoven's favorite of the late quartets. It is said that upon listening to a performance of this quartet, Schubert remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?"

About CSO Associate Conductor Peter Stafford Wilson

Peter Stafford Wilson has served the Columbus Symphony since 1990 when he joined the conducting staff as Assistant Conductor. In 1993, he was promoted to Associate Conductor, and since that time, has appeared on all the CSO's subscription, education, and outreach series. Wilson also leads the nationally renowned Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras program, conducting the senior orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Columbus All-City Orchestra, comprised of students from the Columbus City Schools.

In addition to his duties with the CSO, Wilson has served the Springfield Symphony Orchestra as music director since 2001, and in 2010, won a League of American Orchestras/ASCAP Award for Adventuresome Programming for his commitment to contemporary American music. He has also led the Westerville Symphony at Otterbein University as music director for more than 16 years. In 2012, Wilson began an association with the Tulsa Ballet, where he serves as principal conductor, leading three to four major productions per season.

About violinist Alicia Hui

Principal Second Violin Battelle Chair Alicia Hui was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music of Philadelphia at age 11 where she studied and received her bachelor's degree at 16. She received her master's degree, artist diploma, and professional studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Hui has served as guest concertmaster with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, assistant concertmaster of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and as Principal Second Violin of the Canton Symphony Orchestra. She has participated and performed at the Ishikawa Musical Festival in Japan, Soesterberg Music Festival in Amsterdam, and the Keshet Eilon Master Course in Israel. In addition, she was award fellowships at the Perlman Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Chamber Music Festival, and the Bowdoin Music Festival.

About cellist Luis Biava

Luis Biava is principal cello of Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO), artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Dublin (CMSD), conductor of Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra and Camarata, and Music Director of the New Albany Symphony. He holds a bachelor's degree in cello performance from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor's and master's from the Juilliard School. Biava is currently an adjunct professor at Kenyon College and on the faculty of FOSJA in San Juan Puerto Rico. He has received the Empleos and Employment Ohio Diversity award for Latinos making a difference.

About pianist Caroline Hong

Hailed for her "expressive and powerful playing," "formidable technique," and "keen sense of lyricism and the classical style." (Columbus Dispatch and Richmond Times Dispatch), pianist Caroline Hong flourishes in her career as an internationally active soloist, chamber musician, artist teacher, guest lecturer, and adjudicator. She is a laureate of the Van Cliburn International Audition, the Robert Casadesus International Competition, William Kapell International Piano Competition, UNISA International Piano Competition, Beethoven Foundation, Distinguished Performer of the Palm Beach International Piano Competition, and winner of the Society of American Musicians (Chicago). Hong received her training from the Juilliard School (MM), the Peabody Institute (BM), and holds a doctorate in piano performance from Indiana University (DM). She has served on faculty for the Vianden International Festival and School (Luxembourg), "Piano at Peabody," Longwood University, and is currently serving as associate professor at The Ohio State University.

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