Symphonic Postcards - Directed by James Fellenbaum

A concert of three works that celebrate joy, beauty, and national pride. Guest conductor James Fellenbaum leads the ORSO in Shostakovich's brilliant Festive Overture, Bruch's superb Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring sensational concertmaster Rachel Loseke, and Respighi's spectacular Pines of Rome.

This final concert not only puts an exclamation point on the series, but also serves as a Tribute to the 250th Anniversary of America.  Each piece in "Symphonic Postcards" is a nationalistic tribute in its own way. Shostakovich's thrilling Festive Overture, which opens the program, was written with incredible speed by the great composer for a celebration marking the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution. Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 stands as one of the great compositions in that Germanic genre…a tribute to the violin's growing virtuosity, its ability to perform different kinds of dancing styles, and it has one of the most beautiful and heartfelt second movements in all of the literature. It is especially exciting that we feature the ORSO's new concertmaster, Rachel Loseke, as the soloist for the Bruch! Finally, Respighi's Pines of Rome is the ultimate symphonic postcard: an epic tone poem in four sections, each one depicting the beautiful landscape of Respighi's home country through its description of pine trees in various locations. This piece has it all – incredible virtuosity, sweeping lyricism, brilliant and varied orchestration, and orchestral power like no other.