By Gina Malone
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra (ASO) welcomes legendary pianist Emanuel Ax for the season-opening Masterworks 1: Eroica, with performances Saturday, September 20, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Asheville. The concerts will mark the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, offering audiences an invitation to reflect upon the day of the storm, its devastation to so many communities and where the region is today in its recovery.
“Music creates space for remembrance and renewal, and this program acknowledges the hardship people experienced while also recognizing the strength and resilience that followed,” says ASO executive director Daniel Crupi. “For everyone in WNC, the storm was a defining moment. Marking this milestone through a major artistic event allows us to honor that moment collectively through something lasting and expressive.”
Amber Ferenz. Photo by Alex Avramchuk
The Masterworks 1 program consists of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, a work written as a tribute to heroism that premiered in Vienna in 1805, as well as Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. “Though the work itself (the latter) is not tied directly to the storm, it was Mr. Ax who reached out to us to express his interest in being a part of this important program,” says Crupi. “His presence reflects not only artistic excellence but a spirit of solidarity with the community.”
Born to Polish parents in what today is Lviv, Ukraine, Ax moved to Canada with his family when he was young. During his early career he received a number of prestigious awards, and today he is a Sony Classical exclusive recording artist and has won multiple GRAMMYs, including for recordings with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Last year’s appearance with the New York Philharmonic marked Ax’s 47th annual visit with the orchestra.
Special to the program also is the world premiere of a new, commissioned work by Amber Ferenz, a nonbinary queer bassoonist who is also an award-winning composer and arranger and has been an ASO member for more than 15 years. “The Things We Say to Death opens a program of music that highlights rebirth, renewal and heroism,” says Ferenz, who uses they/them pronouns. “The piece honors those who experienced loss during Hurricane Helene and provides a catalyzing opportunity for the transformation and release of heaviness, thus sharing in the lineage of the program’s two other works that take hardship and transform it into beauty.”
Ferenz experienced the storm while in Atlanta, with winds taking down nearby trees and 12 inches of rain falling. “That felt like nothing as horrific news began to filter in from WNC,” they say. “After the storm, I could not look away from news updates, longing for information about the safety of my musical family and this community, and I felt heartbroken by the devastation. Writing The Things We Say to Death gave me an outlet for all of my complicated big feelings and an opportunity for catharsis, and I wanted to offer the same opportunity to audiences, no matter what they may be carrying in their hearts.”
The stories of people helping one another through challenging times galvanized them, Ferenz says. They hope that the piece assists other communities as well as our own. “The greatest healing can come from the darkest days, and love is the thing that shines the brightest,” they say. “If all of us find ways to shine together, we can be a beacon in the dark.”
Learn more and purchase tickets at AshevilleSymphony.org or by phone at 828.254.7046. The First Baptist Church of Asheville is located at 5 Oak Street, Asheville.
