Maryland Symphony Orchestra

Friday, November 13^th | 7:30 p.m.
FSU Pealer Recital Hall | Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center, 101 Braddock Road, Frostburg

Masterworks of Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Walton and Prokofiev

Maryland Symphony Orchestra
Shakespeare in Symphony

Elizabeth Schulze, Conductor

“Shakespeare in Symphony” brings the timeless stories of William Shakespeare to life through four stunning orchestral masterworks inspired by his plays.
Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” sparkles with whimsy, grace and fairy-like energy; as BBC writer Andrew Dickson observes, Mendelssohn evokes Shakespeare’s magical world without a single spoken word, even slipping in a playful musical nod to the hapless Bottom’s transformation into a donkey. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Overture to “Hamlet” offers a powerful symphonic reflection of the Prince of Denmark, conveying the drama, inner conflict and tragedy at the heart of the play. William Walton’s Suite from “Henry V,” drawn from his celebrated score for Laurence Olivier’s iconic film, stands as one of the great achievements in cinematic music, blending nobility, pageantry and emotional depth. Sergei Prokofiev’s Suite from “Romeo and Juliet” rounds out the program with sweeping, passionate music rich in lyrical beauty and vivid orchestration, capturing both the exhilaration and heartbreak of Shakespeare’s most famous love story.

Since its founding in 1982, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s influence and reputation have reached far beyond western Maryland. Under the baton of Elizabeth Schulze, MSO has become a first-class orchestra of exceptional artistic quality.

Elizabeth Schulze, Music Director
Elizabeth Schulze has conducted orchestras and opera companies, advocated for music education and electrified audiences in the U.S. and abroad for more than two and a half decades. She is currently in her 27th season as MSO music director and was recently appointed music director and conductor of the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra in Alaska.

Schulze made her European debut leading the Mainz Chamber Orchestra in the Atlantisches Festival in Kaiserslautern, Germany. She appeared in Paris as assistant guest conductor for the Paris Opera and has also appeared in London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Vienna with the National Symphony. Her most recent international work includes conducting in Hong Kong, Jerusalem and Taipei. In 2013, she received the prestigious Sorel Medallion in Conducting for her adventurous programming.

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Arts Beyond the Stage

Prélude with Elizabeth Schulze

Friday, November 13 | 6:30 PM
FSU Pealer Recital Hall | Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center
101 Braddock Road, Frostburg

Prior to the show, MSO Music Director Schulze will discuss the selections that will be performed and reveal insight on how each composer deftly transforms Shakespeare's words into music. Open to all ticket holders.

Reserved

Theatre-Style Seating

Classical concerts are not recommended for children under the age of 5. As a courtesy to audience members and performers, please use discretion regarding a young child’s ability to sit quietly and enjoy a performance.

Audience members with restless children will be asked to take them to the lobby as a courtesy to other patrons.

The presentation of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra is supported by the Community Trust Foundation’s Iris and Peter Halmos Community Fund and the Invest in Allegany County Fund; and by the FSU Foundation, Inc.

CES is supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council, and the City of Frostburg.

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