Violinist Elina Vähälä and Florence Price String Quartet Join Princeton Symphony Orchestra Virtual Concert

International violin soloist Elina Vähälä makes a virtual appearance as part of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO)'s Sunday, November 15, online concert at 4pm. She performs Johann Sebastian Bach's Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor on a program with a movement from Florence Price's String Quartet in G Major arranged for string ensemble and Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite. The orchestral works are conducted by Nell Flanders.

"It is very moving for me to perform the Andante moderato from Florence Price's String Quartet in G Major with the musicians of the PSO during these uncertain times," says Ms. Flanders. "Price's work is intensely heartfelt and deeply soothing, and the players embrace the vocalism and warmth of the work with total commitment. It is a wonderful pairing with the exuberant dances of Grieg's Holberg Suite, which showcase the virtuosity of the ensemble."

Nell Flanders holds the recently named position of Princeton Symphony Orchestra's Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg Assistant Conductor. She brings her varied experiences as a professional conductor, violinist, and educator to her work, and has conducted the orchestra in ballet, popular classics, and holiday concerts. Through a new partnership of the PSO and the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ), she now serves as the conductor of the YOCJ's Symphonic Orchestra. Ms. Flanders concurrently conducts the Precollege Symphony Orchestra at the Manhattan School of Music and the Chelsea Symphony. She has directed the Symphonic Wind Ensemble at The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and taught at the University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Utah State University, and the University of Chicago. Ms. Flanders recently completed a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting as a student of Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory. She also holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and Mannes College - The New School.

Born in the US and raised in Finland, Elina Vähälä appears regularly with all of the key Finnish orchestras as well as being a guest of countless high-profile orchestras across the globe. Highlights of the last seasons include debuts with the Orchestre National de Lyon, Polish National Radio Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony, RTE National Symphony, Gävle Symphony, and Shenzhen Symphony, and performances with the Finnish Radio Symphony, Lahti Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Niederrheinische Symphony, Norrlandsoperan Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Colorado Symphony. The 20/21 season will bring debuts with the Gothenburg Symphony, Norrkoping Symphony, Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic, Prague Radio Symphony, and Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, and more. She performs with a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin made in 1780.

Florence Price's string quartet was composed in 1929 written using musical idioms common to spirituals and blues. Bach's Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor is a monumental work; its architecture and profound musical expression make it a standout piece in the violin repertoire. Grieg originally composed the Holberg Suite for piano for an 1884 festival celebrating the Norwegian-Danish playwright, Ludvig Holberg, and Grieg himself arranged it for string orchestra shortly after.

Access to the virtual concert is $15 per unique device link and includes the ability to participate in a live chat while watching with an online community of music lovers. Following the broadcast at 4pm, viewers receive on-demand access to the concert for one week. To purchase, call 609-497-0020 or visit princetonsymphony.org.

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