The Chelsea Symphony's January 24 and 25 Concerts Feature Jennifer Higdon and Alexandra Gardner

The second half of The Chelsea Symphony's 2019/2020 season begins on January 24 and 25 with The Noble Spirit, featuring Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral, Alexandra Gardner's drumset concerto, Just Say Yes, and Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5.

Both concerts open with Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral, commissioned by the Curtis Institute of Music to commemorate their 75th anniversary. The composer described it as "the most cathartic thing [she] could have done" in memory of her younger brother, Andrew Blue Higdon, who died of skin cancer in 1998.

From the score: "I began writing this piece at a unique juncture in my life and found myself pondering the question of what makes a life. The recent loss of my younger brother, Andrew Blue, made me reflect on the amazing journeys that we all make in our lives, crossing paths with so many individuals singularly and collectively, learning and growing each step of the way. This piece represents the expression of the individual and the group...our inner travels and the places our souls carry us, the lessons we learn, and the growth we experience. In tribute to my brother, I feature solos for the clarinet (the instrument he played) and the flute (the instrument I play). Because I am the older sibling, it is the flute that appears first in this dialog. At the end of the work, the two instruments continue their dialogue, but it is the flute that drops out and the clarinet that continues on in the upward progressing journey."

Concertos on this series are William Walton's Viola Concerto with Sara Dudley (1/25 only), Darius Milhaud's Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra with Kurt Behnke (1/24 only), and Alexandra Gardner's Just Say Yes with Michael Blancaflor on drumset (1/24 only) Just Say Yes was originally written for Yes drummer, Alan White.

The January concerts each end with Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, written during one month in the summer of 1944 and intended as "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit." Prokofiev added, "I cannot say that I deliberately chose this theme. It was born in me and clamored for expression. The music matured within me. It filled my soul."

Offering seven concert series from September 2019 through June 2020, The Chelsea Symphony's 2019/20 season RISE UP features orchestral works that inspire and uplift.

Premium unassigned seating in special reserved areas on sale now on Eventbrite!
Limited day-of tickets are available at the door for a suggested donation of $20.

For more information, interview inquiries, and press tickets contact Elizabeth Holub, elizabeth.holub@chelseasymphony.org, 520-977-7007.

THE NOBLE SPIRIT

Friday, January 24 at 8pm
Saturday, January 25 at 8pm
The Chelsea Symphony
Conducted by Nell Flanders and Matthew Aubin
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music (450 West 37th Street)

$25 reserved premium general seating on sale at Eventbrite
$20 suggested donation seating available at the door

Jennifer Higdon: blue cathedral

William Walton: Viola Concerto, Sara Dudley, viola (Saturday 1/25 only)
Darius Milhaud: Concerto, No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, Kurt Behnke, cello (Friday 1/24 only)
Alexandra Gardner: Just Say Yes, Michael Blancaflor, drumset (Friday 1/24 only)
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5