MUKILTEO — The Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, performed by Seattle pianist Rose Jo-Shih Cheng, is sure to be a highlight of Mukilteo Community Orchestra’s 2015–16 season opener Sunday afternoon under the direction of Trevor Lutzenhiser.
Cheng is a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the University of Washington. She is an international music solo-competition winner, a teacher, an accompanist and a chamber musician.
The Grieg concerto is one she has grown up with, said Cheng.
“Having heard it as a child and fallen in love with the beautifully serene second movement as a teenager, I first learned this concerto as an undergraduate student in 2008,” Cheng said.
“I really enjoy how Grieg spices up traditional romantic harmonies with his personal blend of exotic progressions and Norwegian folk elements,” Cheng added. “Also, the other aspect that has attracted me to revisiting the piece several times over the years is how many sections of the concerto remind me of grandiose mountains capped with snow and the winter beauty nature has to offer. Because these sceneries are very familiar to the audience here in the Pacific Northwest, I think it adds another dimension to how the (local) listener relates to the piece.”
Lutzenhiser, also the orchestra’s artistic director, has paired the Grieg concerto with “Pelléas et Mélisande,” a suite by Jean Sibelius.
The concert will open with the Richard Strauss “Fanfare for the Vienna Philharmonic” — a showcase for the orchestra’s brass section and timpani.
The concert prelude entertainment at 1:30 p.m. features the orchestra’s harpist Natalie Skerlong and a flute ensemble under the direction of orchestra flutist Kristi Wiant.
This year marks the 18th season for the Mukilteo Community Orchestra. Originally formed as a small chamber orchestra, the group has grown into a talented, full symphony orchestra of 50 members.
Lutzenhiser became the orchestra’s conductor in 2007. Under his baton, the orchestra has expanded its programming, including three classical concerts a season and other community events.
If you go
Mukilteo Community Orchestra will perform 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo. The concert is free. More information at www.mukilteoorchestra.org.
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