Princeton Symphony Orchestra to Perform Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's SCHEHEREZADE

On Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8 pm and Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 4 pm, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) performs Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's popular work Scheherazade, Op. 35 on a program with the world premiere of composer Saad Haddad's Clarinet Concerto. A commission of the PSO and the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University, the concerto features Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh. Jacques Ibert's Escales (Ports of Call) completes the array of works to be conducted by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov at Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.

Rimsky-Korsakov was influenced by explorer Richard Francis Burton's 1885 translation of One Thousand and One Nights (the Arabian Nights) enough to craft a symphonic suite centered on its heroine. Ibert's Escales recounts the sights and sounds of a Mediterranean coastal excursion, and composer Saad Haddad draws upon his Middle Eastern ancestry to create a work conveying a universal spirit of cooperation among fellow human beings. His new concerto is dedicated to the memory of his grandfather, who led Haddad's mother and her extended family away from war-torn Lebanon to the United States.

This is the second world premiere of a work by Saad Haddad, co-commissioned by the PSO, and the third work overall of his performed by the orchestra since January 2017. Maestro Rossen Milanov explains what is so compelling about the composer, "Saad has a unique voice among the composers of his generation. He reaches into the unexplored well of Arabic music and creates musical experiences that are powerful, original, and deeply personal."

Saad Haddad is a composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and electroacoustic music. His music transfers the performance techniques of traditional Arab instruments to Western symphonic instruments, while extending their capabilities through the advancement of technology. His works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony in C, among others. Recent distinctions include the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, S&R Foundation Washington Award Grand Prize, the Jerome Fund for New Music grant from the American Composers Forum, Palmer Dixon Award from The Juilliard School, Aaron Copland Residency Award, and multiple awards from ASCAP, BMI, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. He is currently the 2019-2021 Young Concert Artists Composer-in-Residence.

Kinan Azmeh's utterly distinctive sound across different musical genres has gained him international recognition as a clarinetist. Notable appearances include New York's Carnegie Hall and the United Nations' General Assembly, Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress, London's Royal Albert Hall, Buenos Aires' Teatro Colon, Berlin's Philharmonie, Salzburg's Mozarteum, Paris' Opera Bastille, Moscow's Tchaikovsky Grand Hall, and the Damascus opera house for its opening concert in his native Syria. He has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, and the Syrian Symphony Orchestra, among others. As a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, he was awarded a Grammy in 2017.

Ticket prices range from $30-$100 (children 17 years and younger accompanied by an adult receive a 50% discount). Tickets for this and other PSO Classical Series concerts as well as discount ticket packages are available by phone: 609-497-0020 and online at princetonsymphony.org.

Programs, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

Accessibility

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is committed to ensuring all programming is accessible for everyone. Richardson Auditorium has accessibility services available including wheelchair platforms with companion seats, large print programs, assistive listening devices, accessible restrooms, and accessible parking offered on a first come, first served basis. If there are questions about these or any additional services, contact ADA Coordinator Kitanya Khateri at kkhateri@princetonsymphony.org or 609 497-0020. Note: some services require at least two weeks' notice to arrange.

To post a comment, you must register and login.