The Santa Barbara Symphony Presents Beethoven's Triple On February 16 & 17

This February, The Santa Barbara Symphony continues their 65th Anniversary season with a performance of Beethoven's Triple, under the baton of Maestro Nir Kabaretti, on Saturday, February 16 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, February 17 at 3:00 pm at The Granada Theatre.

The evening begins with Joseph Schwantner's enchantingly delicate Chasing Light, a work the Symphony co-commissioned more than ten years ago. The work was made possible through the Ford Made in America Program, which helps to bring new work from internationally recognized composers to orchestras that normally otherwise not have such an opportunity.

The evening continues with Beethoven's Triple Concerto, which first debuted in 1804, and is Beethoven's only concerto completed for more than one solo instrument. The Symphony's performance will feature three stellar musicians with a rich history of performing locally: violinist Paul Huang and cellist Ani Aznavoorian, both of Camerata Pacifica, and pianist Gilles Vonsattel, who regularly performs with the celebrated ensemble. Born in Taiwan, Huang received the inaugural Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees, and is the recipient of the???? prestigious 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. Cellist Ani Aznavoorian is in her fourth year as principal cellist of Camerata Pacifica, since graduating from Julliard where she became the youngest cellist in the school's history to win first prize in the institution's concerto competition. Accompanying pianist Gilles Vonsattel is also a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the Naumburg and Geneva competitions as well as the 2016 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award.

Closing the evening will be Robert Schumann's popular five-movement Symphony No.3, which is said to have been inspired by the history and spirit of Europe's mighty Rhine river. The piece, also know as the "Rhenish" Symphony, is the last work composed by Schumann and features five-movements instead of the usual four. The "extra" fifth movement was inspired by a procession Schumann and his wife Clara had seen near the Cologne cathedral.

Join the Santa Barbara Symphony for this triad of distinct and masterful performances at The Granada Theatre. Special acknowledgment goes to Principal Concert Sponsor, The Samakand. For tickets click here or call the Granada Box Office at (805) 899-2222. To learn more about the Santa Barbara Symphony and how to support the organization and its programming, visit www.thesymphony.org/.

About The Santa Barbara Symphony

The Santa Barbara Symphony, founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special orchestra. Consistently lauded for its unique ability to present brilliant concerts, engage the community, and deliver dynamic music education programs, the organization prizes both innovation and artistic excellence and is widely recognized as one of the region's premier cultural institutions. Its award-winning Music Education Center serves more than 10,000 students throughout Santa Barbara County each year. Charismatic Israeli conductor Nir Kabaretti was appointed music director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006.