BSO Concludes Season With Prokofiev No. 5

On April 14th, Maestro Christopher Confessore and the Brevard Symphony Orchestra take the stage to conclude the 2017-2018 season with one of the greatest 20th Century symphonies - Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony. Written as WWII was drawing to a close, Prokofiev's Fifth is an optimistic work celebrating hope for mankind's future. This will be the BSO's first-ever performance of this colorful masterpiece. The concert opens with another first-ever performance for the Orchestra - Martinu's Memorial to Lidice - a dramatic work written to memorialize the victims of Nazi atrocities in the Czech village of Lidice. In between these two powerful pieces, the BSO will be joined by clarinetist Bharat Chandra for one of the most glorious concertos ever written, the Mozart Clarinet Concerto.

"Bharat Chandra is an amazingly artistic and virtuosic musician. His artistry is unique in that everything he plays is distinct, but it never feels separate from the cohesive statement of the full orchestra," states Music Director and Principal Conductor Christopher Confessore.

Performance begins at 8:00pm at the King Center For The Performing Arts in Melbourne. Guests are invited to arrive early for Happy Hour beginning at 7:00pm in the main lobby. Guests will have the opportunity to view and enjoy the King Center's art gallery. Cash bar will feature the BSO's all-new signature cocktails themed to the evening's program. Also prior to the concert, guests are welcome to attend Concert Conversations with Christopher Confessore. This fun, insightful, interactive chat begins approximately 40 minutes before the performance. For tickets, call the King Center Box Office at (321) 242-2219 or purchase online at www.brevardsymphony.com.

About the Artist

Bharat currently serves as Principal Clarinet of both the Sarasota Orchestra in Florida and of the Nordic Symphony Orchestra in Tallinn, Estonia, led by Anu Tali. During the summer, he serves as Principal Clarinet of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, led by Cristian M?celaru.

After undergraduate work at Southern Methodist University, studying orchestral performance with Stephen Girko and ethics with Alastair Norcross, Bharat attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. There he became the first student of world renowned clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and won the Conservatory's highest individual honor, the Gunther Schuller Medal.

From Boston, Bharat traveled to Miami to join the New World Symphony, where he was featured in orchestral and chamber music tours across the United States, Monte Carlo, and Vienna. A critically acclaimed recording on CRI Records of the chamber music of Dan Welcher concluded a highly successful fellowship in Miami, along with a specially requested encore performance of Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.

At Cabrillo, Bharat gave the United States premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage's clarinet concerto, Riffs and Refrains, to unanimous critical acclaim with Marin Alsop and the Festival Orchestra. Bharat has also maintained a small teaching studio in Sarasota and has given masterclasses at Michigan State University and the University of Southern Florida, among others.

The past six seasons have included Bharat serving as Guest Principal Clarinet of the Sydney Opera House (Opera Australia) and of the Oregon Symphony in Portland. In the same period he also gave his chamber music debuts at Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival, Chicago's Harris Theater, and the International Beethoven Festival.

In 2017-2018, Bharat will perform a full slate of solo, chamber, and orchestral music in Sarasota and will rejoin friends in Europe with the Nordic Symphony Orchestra. Special highlights include a guest role as Principal Clarinet of the festival orchestra at Music in the Mountains, chamber music with ensemblenewSRQ and the Artist Series of Sarasota, and solo performances at the Ringling International Arts Festival and the Brevard Symphony Orchestra.

This concert is proudly sponsored by Kevin Smith of Ameriprise Financial.

For more information, contact the Brevard Symphony Orchestra at (321) 242-2024 or visit our website at BrevardSymphony.com

The BSO is Brevard's premier professional orchestra. For over 60 years, the Brevard Symphony Orchestra has brought quality performances, educational programs and outreach events to the community. The Orchestra's mission is to entertain and enrich individuals and communities, by creating exceptional, live symphonic music. The BSO is orchestra-in-residence at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida.