The Music Foundation of Western North Carolina has announced the date for its Fifth Annual World Masterwork Series Benefit Concert—The 3B’s. The performance, an unprecedented and technically challenging three-piano concert, is sure to sell out months before it comes to Diana Wortham Theatre on Saturday, September 2, at 7 p.m.
“We are doing something that is very seldom done anywhere in the world,” says Joann Freeburg, Music Foundation of Western North Carolina founder. “You won’t have to be a classical music fan to enjoy this concert. You can appreciate it from a historical, technical and performance perspective. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The evening will feature pianists Jessie Davis, Christopher Tavernier and Vance Reese, accompanied by the Hendersonville Symphony Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Joiner. The program will begin with the chamber orchestra performing selections from Johannes Brahms’ Waltzes, Op. 39 (arrangement by Thieriot), followed by Bach’s Concerto for Three Pianos in D Minor. Next, 16-year-old pianist Christopher Tavernier, the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra’s 2017 Young Artist Competition Winner, will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21, “Waldstein.” The evening will close with Bach’s Concerto for Three Pianos in C Major.
The pianists will play three Limited Special Edition Perzina Grand Pianos manufactured and imported from Amsterdam and provided by Hendersonville’s Freeburg Pianos. The instruments will be tuned to the Equal-Beating Victorian temperament, a tuning method that was preferred in Europe during the 1800s and still is by many classical performers. The resulting sound to both the trained and untrained ear is often described as more vibrant than tuning commonly used today.
“In most cases, the Bach you hear today is not the Bach heard in 1700,” says Tavernier. “The instruments are different; the tuning is different. But this concert will recreate the music of that era.”
Proceeds from the concert will support the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra (HSO), a 70 member all-professional orchestra serving nearly 4,000 patrons per year. The HSO offers a full progression of education programs for area children, from introductory concerts through advanced ensemble and performance opportunities. Annually, the HSO presents Education Concerts for area third and sixth grade students, introducing more than 2,000 students to symphonic music each year. The Hendersonville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Hendersonville Symphony Children’s Choir serve more than 150 students per year in a progressive curriculum of ensemble study. The HSO also offers many other education programs, including the Summer Strings Workshop, the Young Artist Competition and a scholarship program.
“We believe music is one of the greatest assets of Western North Carolina, and the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra is a leader in this community, providing world-class performances and contributing to the musical education of our young people,” says Freeburg. “By supporting the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, we are ensuring that quality musical performances and education will continue enhancing lives.”
Diana Wortham Theatre is located at 2 South Pack Square, Asheville. Tickets are $36, and can be purchased online at dwtheatre.com or worldmasterworkseries.com, or by phone at 828.257.4530 or 828.693.9708.