By Natasha Anderson
Three legendary Scandinavian and Slavic composers channel the powerful spirit and splendor of the frozen north in the Asheville Symphony’s Masterworks 4: Aurora concert. Led by maestro Darko Butorac, the concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 18, at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
“The program was inspired by winter and the northern lights, hence works by three composers from northern countries—Sibelius, Grieg and Tchaikovsky, each represented by truly iconic works,” says Butorac. “Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is a heartfelt, deeply personal, and very dramatic work inspired by the idea of a person dealing with fateful events.”
Jacob Bernhardt
The program opens with Sibelius’ powerful Finlandia, a tone poem for orchestra. The piece was premiered in the composer’s native Finland for the Finnish Press Pension Celebration of 1899, a rally in support of freedom of the Finnish press that was largely controlled by tsarist Russia at that time. With a powerful opening, symbolizing Russia’s repression of the Finns, and hymn-like middle section, it soon became the symbol of Finnish nationalism.
Next, guest pianist Jacob Bernhardt joins the orchestra for Grieg’s beloved Piano Concerto. Inspired by Robert Schumann and incorporating Norwegian dance rhythms, this concerto is one of the most popular Romantic concertos of all time.
“Jacob Bernhardt will be featured by the Asheville Symphony as part of a long-running partnership between the Symphony and Cleveland Institute of Music, generously sponsored by the Payne Fund,” says Butorac.
Winner of the 2021 Cleveland Institute of Music’s concerto competition, Bernhardt is a native of the Chicago area. He earned his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Bob Jones University, and his master’s degree in collaborative piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has garnered awards including first prizes in Bob Jones University’s Piano Contest and Concerto/Aria Competition, and in Cleveland Institute of Music’s Milhaud Competition.
The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s dramatic Fourth Symphony, in which the composer began his exploration of fate as an inescapable force. Its musical themes span the emotional gamut: a battle between the sinister and the playful, the festive and the melancholy and a reflection of the emotional turbulence in the composer’s life at the time of its composition. Its rousing conclusion is an inspiring portrayal of triumph over adversity.
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is located at 87 Haywood Street, in Asheville. Series subscriptions, ticket packages and single tickets are on sale now. Single tickets for Masterworks concerts are $25–75, depending on seating section (reduced youth pricing is available). Tickets can be purchased online at AshevilleSymphony.org, by phone at 828.254.7046, in person at the Asheville Symphony office at 27 College Place, Suite 100, or at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville Box Office in downtown Asheville.
