Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Presents Mozart, Bacewicz, Respighi at Mount Baker Theatre

On Sunday, June 4th, the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will close its 47th Season and offer a sneak peek at next season's programming.

The concert, titled Transported, will feature guest artists Dawn Posey (violin) and Amber Archibald-Sešek (viola) for a program that will transport audiences across the globe.

To start, Dawn Posey and Amber Archibald-Sešek will join the orchestra for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra. Mozart composed the Sinfonia Concertante in 1779 while on a tour of Europe, including Paris and Mannheim. Although an excellent violinist, Mozart loved to play viola in string quartet ensembles, enjoying the perspective of being "in the middle."

Dawn Posey is a performer, coach, teacher, and lecturer who maintains an active and varied performing career. You can see her perform as Concertmaster of the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Concertmaster of the Northwest Sinfonietta.

Praised as "a natural in every sense" by Arts Houston Magazine, Archibald-Sešek's solo career highlights include performances at the Gewandhaus with the Leipzig Academic Orchestra in Germany and with the Seattle Symphony. Dr. Archibald was a member of the Young Eight string octet, an all Afro heritage ensemble devoted to spreading a positive message through classical and hip-hop music to underserved communities. In 2018, Archibald-Sešek and her husband launched CernaBella, a Seattle-based chamber music experience that merges tradition with diverse and inventive programming.

Next, BSO will present Grażyna Bacewicz's Overture for Orchestra. Bacewicz served as concertmaster of the Polish Radio Orchestra before the outbreak of WWII. Throughout the war, she continued to give concerts in secret. She wrote her Overture in 1943, during the German occupation of Poland. It was not performed until 1945. The BSO is honored to perform this work as part of the Harmony from Discord programmatic series, shining a light on music that transcends oppression.

Lastly, audiences will hear Italian composer Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome, a four movement Tone Poem and celebration of natural wonder, written in 1924. Part two of a trilogy of works about Rome, Pines of Rome depicts several scenes of pine trees throughout Rome, including at the Villa Borghese, near a catacomb, at the Janiculum, and along the Appian Way. This piece features a special guest-the Mount Baker Theatre's 1927 organ, which will be played by Western Washington University's Gabriel Mañalac.

"I'm excited to feature our own Dawn Posey for this concert alongside the incredible Amber Archibald-Sešek," says Music Director Yaniv Attar. "For the Pines of Rome, we will have the largest orchestra on stage since before the pandemic, and it will be a special opportunity for audiences to hear the organ. I hope to see everyone in the audience for our final concert of this season!"

Tickets start at just $15.

Audience members for Transported will be the first to learn about the BSO's upcoming 48th Season and Maestro Yaniv Attar's 10th Anniversary Season with the BSO. Early Bird Season Subscription Pricing will be available at the concert for ticketholders.