Our 2019-2020 season, “Locally Sourced,” kicks off with a triumphal program celebrating the renovation of Twichell Auditorium in Zimmerli Performance Center. The concert opens with the world-premiere of a celebratory new work called Phoenix Fanfare by the Philharmonic’s Composer-in-Residence, Peter B. Kay, that is dedicated to Kurt and Nelly Zimmerli for their life-long support of music in Spartanburg.

This is followed by Brahms’ rambunctious, tongue-in-cheek Academic Festival Overture. Brahms composed this piece as an elaborate thank you for being awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the University of Breslau. After Brahms had initially decided that a thank you letter would suffice, the University strongly urged him to compose a piece. Brahms then masterfully composed a piece that mischievously threaded various student drinking songs throughout the duration.

The program then vigorously marches forward with a jubilant performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude. To wrap it up, the concert fittingly comes to a close with Converse College Babcock Professor of Piano and Spartanburg’s own Dr. Douglas Weeks performing Rachmaninoff’s epic Piano Concerto no. 2. These invigorating performances are sure to leave you in a state of euphoria all night with the lingering buzz of celebration.

Program:

• Peter B. Kay, Phoenix Fanfare ....... 7 mins

• Johannes Brahms, Academic Festival Overture ....... 10 mins

• Richard Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude ....... 10 mins

  INTERMISSION

• Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto no. 2, op. 18 ....... 33 mins
  featuring guest soloist DOUGLAS WEEKS

6PM - Classical Conversations with Music Director Stefan Sanders and Chris Vaneman, Director of Petrie School of Music at Converse College

7PM - Performance

Valet Parking provided at no cost. Refreshments are available for purchase. 

NOTE: programs subject to change;
timings, when given, are approximate.

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