BSO Presents Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

BSO Music Director Finalist Bobby Collins leads the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra's season finale on June 1 and 3. The openings of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 could not be more dissimilar. Written just before Stalin's death, Shostakovich's concerto opens with the low strings brooding with tones that barely suggest a melody. Elsewhere in the concerto, Shostakovich spells out his own name in musical notation using German transliteration. The pitches D-E-flat-C-B (or, DSCH) cry out with sarcasm and fierce wit. This is a titanic concerto for violinists, and superstar Rachell Ellen Wong will hold you spellbound with her virtuosity and sensitivity.

Next up, Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony erupts with a fanfare for brass that is moody like Shostakovich's concerto. As the symphony unfolds, however, gaiety and excitement hold court. Perhaps his most famous symphony, Tchaikovsky's spectacular Fourth will end BSO's 2017 - 2018 Season with a flourish.

Bobby Collins has conducted a variety of ensembles including symphony, chamber, and pit orchestras, as well as contemporary music ensembles ranging from beginning to professional level. He currently serves as Music Director and Co-Founder of The Sound Ensemble, an innovative contemporary music collaborative in Seattle, and Conducting Assistant to Music Director Sarah Ioannides at Symphony Tacoma. Recent awards include the Legh Burns Conducting Fellowship for the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute as well as being named one of the 2017-18 Conducting Fellows for Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Bobby is active regionally and has appeared in performance with groups such as Saratoga Orchestra, Rainier Symphony, Cascade Symphony, Thalia Symphony, and Inverted Space Ensemble. He is uniquely gifted at crafting engrossing concerts to enrich and entertain diverse audiences.

Pleased to be a Music Director finalist with the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, Bobby says, "The BSO has established itself as a central part of the island's cultural identity, and I hope to deepen the impact of its work by continuing to provide magnificent concerts while expanding our outreach so that nobody misses the opportunity to experience the joy of music."

Violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is at home both with the modern and the baroque violin. She has soloed with orchestras across the US and abroad. Recent concerts include a tour with the New Zealand String Quartet, performing Alexander Ekman's ballet Cacti with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and recitals with world renowned pianists Anton Nel and Byron Schenkman. She has won numerous prizes in international and national competitions, including the Grand Prizes in the 52nd Sorantin International Young Artist Competition, and the 2013 International Crescendo Music Awards. Recent music festivals include the Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Seminar, Tafelmusik Baroque Institutes, Sarasota Music Festival, London Masterclasses, and the Starling-Delay Violin Symposium. Rachell is a Kovner Fellow in the Historical Performance program at The Juilliard School. She received her Masters of Music from the Jacobs School of Music. She lives in New York, NY.

Don't miss the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra's season finale on June 1 and 3 - Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., with a pre-concert chat on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. Tickets, $21 for adults, and $18 for seniors, students, military, and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206.842.8569 or in person at BPA, 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island. Each youth receives free admission when accompanied by a paying adult thanks to the BSO's "Youth in Music Initiative" funded by Wicklund Dental. BPA Box Office hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance.

Bainbridge Performing Arts extends special thanks to Media Sponsor Classical KING FM 98.1, Community Sponsor Carly's Rolling Bay Café, and "Youth in Music Initiative" Sponsor Wicklund Dental. BPA is supported, in part, by Bainbridge Community Foundation, the City of Bainbridge Island, and One Call for All. Bainbridge Performing Arts is pleased to offer an "Open Doors" program. Free and reduced-cost tickets to most events are available to community members in need through our partner Helpline House thanks to grants from BCF, the Mabee Family Foundation, and the Alder Fund at the Bainbridge Community Foundation.

Find out more about BPA at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, or check us out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BPAonline and www.facebook.com/BainbridgeSymphonyOrchestra), follow Bainbridge Performing Arts on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/bainbridge-performing-arts) and Twitter (@BPAPresents). Check online for the latest on theatre and symphony auditions, complete theatre school and adult class offerings, performance listings, tickets, promos, and more. Go to "About BPA" and click on "Get Our Newsletter" to receive electronic performance announcements and behind-the-scenes news.