Princeton Symphony Orchestra Presents RESTLESS ROMANTICS CONCERT, 3/19

On Sunday, March 19 at 4 pm, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra showcases violinist Philippe Graffin at its Restless Romantics concert conducted by Christopher Lyndon-Gee. On the program are two late romantic works, Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61 and Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 "The Inextinguishable." The performance takes place at Richardson Auditorium on Princeton University campus.

French violinist Philippe Graffin is known for his interpretations of the French and British repertoire and innovative programming. He has performed with many major European orchestras and at the BBC Proms, and is a sought-after chamber musician. His discography includes many world premieres and discoveries. He enjoys contemporary music and has commissioned or been the dedicatee of many new works. He is also professor at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM) and at the Brussels Conservatoire Royal. While in Princeton, Mr. Graffin will conduct a PSO BRAVO! violin masterclass on March 18 at Westminster Choir College's Hamilton House.

Mr. Graffin performs Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto in B Minor, dedicated to Fritz Kreisler, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1909, and premiered in 1910 to immediate, widespread acclaim. The score itself is prefaced by the mysterious Spanish inscription "Aqui está encerrada el alma de....." which translates to "herein is enshrined the soul of.....", a phrase meant by the composer to incite speculation as to the individual represented by the five-dotted ellipsis.

Conductor Christopher Lyndon-Gee's more than seventy compact disc releases have attracted five Grammy nominations, including Best Orchestral Performance for the first volume of his groundbreaking series of the complete works of Igor Markevitch and the world premiere recording of George Rochberg's Symphony No. 5. He appears regularly with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra in Vilnius; other recent engagements have included the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic) and continuing relationships with orchestras and opera companies in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland, and Sweden. Based in New York, he is Professor of Music and Music Director of the symphony orchestra at Adelphi University.

Carl Nielsen's fourth symphony makes up the second half of the program. "The Inextinguishable" was composed against the backdrop of World War I, the turbulence of that period evident in battling timpanists in the final movement.

(Photo Credit: PSO)