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October 6, 2023Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off Their 23/24 Season with Guest Pianist Philip Edward
The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra is launching its 23/24 season with two concerts featuring guest pianist Philip Edward Fisher in Barber’s “Piano Concerto, Op. 38,” Corigliano’s “Elegy (1965),” music from John Williams’ “Lincoln” and the Suite from Copland’s “Billy the Kid.” The first concert will be Saturday, Oct. 21 at Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs. The second concert will be Sunday, Oct. 22 on the MainStage at Proctors, Schenectady.
Barber’s “Piano Concerto, Op.38” “is remarkable for its absorption of some of the sound and feel of the then-fashionable “serial” style within an unabashedly neo-romantic composition…The work may be the most frequently performed American concerto for any instrument composed since 1950” (Walter Simmons).
Corigliano’s “Elegy” was originally written for an off-Broadway production about the aging Helen of Troy. Within the piece, the audience should feel the bittersweet love between Helen and Telemachus with a reminiscent sound of Barber himself.
John Williams has written the music for some of the most popular film soundtracks of all time. One of those films was “Lincoln” starring Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. In this piece, Williams draws on musical influences from the Civil War era as well as pulling from his own signature sound.
Last will be the Suite from Copland’s “Billy the Kid.” First performed in 1938 by the Ballet Caravan Company, “Billy the Kid” contains American folksongs and songs reminiscent of the pioneers of the American West.
The concerts will be presented in memory of and in honor of Patrick V. Renzi, a long-time member of the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra. Patrick was born in Schenectady in 1934 and passed away Jan. 2020. One of the finest classical trumpeters to emerge from the Capital Region, Renzi studied under Roger Voisin, Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as being an alternate for both the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops and was in line for full-time positions in both. After moving back to the Capital Region, he became a full-time Instrumental teacher at South Colonie High School and taught there for over thirty years.
There is a pre-concert talk with Fisher and Artistic Director/Conductor Glen Cortese one hour prior to each concert at their respective locations. It’s an excellent way to learn more about the music and an opportunity to ask questions about the performance. All are invited to attend.
Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online at ssso.org. Groups of 10 or more can get their tickets by calling (518) 382-3884 ext. 139. Tickets are $17–$24. Children under 18 are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Subscriptions are still available for the 23-24 season, starting at $65.
