Icons in Music Saluted February 26th
Icons in Music Saluted February 26th
Pianist Jamila Tekalli shines at celebration of Samuel Barber, Robert Schumann
Concertgoers gathered as the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra celebrated the life and work of two musical luminaries with “Icons in Music: Robert Schumann and Samuel Barber” at the First Baptist Church, 140 Magnolia Avenue in Merritt Island on February 26th. Pianist Jamila Tekalli, in a sparkling blue evening gown, returned to honor Samuel Barber’s centenary by performing the demanding Piano Concerto. Her deftness and blinding speed on the keyboard was met with a standing ovation from the amazed audience.
Fans once again made their way to the photo area in the lobby, where professional photographer Rod Ostoski snapped groups and couples along with musicians from the orchestra for uploading to the group’s FaceBook page. After intermission, conductor Aaron Collins dedicated Schumann’s dramatic Rhenish symphony on the second half of the program to his biggest fan: his mother.
In a surprising encore, the symphony struck up the lively Galop from Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld – the piece most associated with the French “can-can.” And in a show of high spirits, conductor Aaron Collins turned to the audience and kicked up his heels in true chorus line fashion!
The SCSO closes its Fall/Spring series on March 19th with “The Drama in Music.” The concert features Modest Mussorgsky’s magnificent and wildly popular Night on a Bald Mountain, followed by one of the most important works of the 20th Century, Richard Strauss’s epic tone poem, Death and Transfiguration. The performance closes with Prokofiev’s unforgettable music from the ballet, Romeo and Juliet.
$10 tickets may be reserved or purchased in advance online at www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org, at the offices of Blue Sky Insurance in Cocoa Village and Tropical Realty of Suntree, or by calling (321) 536-8580. Tickets purchased at the door will be $15; under 18 years of age admitted free.
The ambitious conductor also plans dozens of ensemble performances throughout Brevard with various musicians from the orchestra. For more information about the 2010-2011 performing Season or the “The Drama in Music” concert, visit www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call (321) 536-8580.
