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ASO’S April Concerts Feature Percussion and “Pictures”

March 28, 2011
  • Who: NEXUS with the Austin Symphony Orchestra
  • When: April 1 & 2, 2011 – 8:00 p.m.
  • Where: Dell Hall, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr.
  • Cost: $19 - $48
  • Contact: Don Hill, Director of Public Relations - 476-6064 x 213

Maestro Peter Bay and the ASO present the seventh concert of the 100th season of classical concerts with performances of works by Ravel and Mussorgsky. Percussion ensemble NEXUS also joins the ASO for performances of Toru Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time,” a piece written for the ensemble. Performances will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 1st & 2nd at the Long Center for the Performing Arts’ Dell Hall. Concerts are being proudly sponsored by Bank of America.

PROGRAM
Takemitsu – From me flows what you call Time
Ravel – Menuet antique
Mussorgsky/Ravel – Pictures at an Exhibition

The evening begins with the guest artists, NEXUS. The San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed of NEXUS, “Even more astonishing is the depth of musicianship and superiority of ensemble these five virtuosos brought to bear.” They stand out in the contemporary music scene for the innovation & diversity of their programs, their impressive history of collaborations & commissions, their revival of 1920’s novelty ragtime xylophone music, & their influential improvisatory ideas. NEXUS’ firm commitment to music education & a steady output of quality CD recordings & compositions by its members continues to enhance the role of percussion in the 21st century.

NEXUS’ music, with its widespread appeal, has taken the group on tours of Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Brazil, Scandinavia, Europe, & regularly to the United States & Canada. NEXUS is proud to have been the first Western percussion group to perform in the People’s Republic of China.

Toru Takemitsu, a great friend to NEXUS, composed one of their signature pieces, “From me flows what you call Time”. This work, commissioned by Carnegie Hall in celebration of its 100th anniversary, was written with each NEXUS member’s personality in mind and was premiered in 1990 with Seiji Ozawa conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra (later recorded on Sony with the Pacific Symphony).

After a brief intermission, Maestro Bay and the ASO take on the monumental “Pictures at an Exhibition,” by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky (orchestration by Maurice Ravel). This titan of the classical music world was originally composed as a suite for piano, later enjoying orchestrations and arrangements by various musicians and composers, the most performed version being that of Ravel. The work depicts and imaginary tour of an art collection by artist and architect Viktor Hartmann following his death in 1873. Titles of each movement allude to works by Hartmann. The piece ends with probably the most famous movement, “The Great Gate of Kiev.”

Tickets for NEXUS with the Austin Symphony range from $19 to $48. Student rush tickets are also available 20 minutes prior to performance for $5 cash and current student ID. Charge tickets online at http://www.austinsymphony.org where you will find seating maps, price options and a wealth of concert information. Tickets are also available at the Austin Symphony Box Office, 11th and Red River or call 476-6064 or 1-888-4-MAESTRO (toll-free).