The encounter of virtuosos in South Florida continues in this 20th season of the South Florida Symphony. For the new concert series, the renowned Canadian violinist and conductor Lara St. John joins the orchestra in “Masterworks III: Beethoven and Vivaldi’s Expressions of Nature.” The program also includes a rendition of In This Heart, from composer Lisa Nardi. The concerts will be presented at the Tennessee Williams Theater in Key West on February 28th, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on March 1st, and the Spanish River Worship Center in Boca Raton on March 2nd.
Lara St. John, described as a “high powered soloist and a phenomenon,” began playing the violin when she was two years old. She made her first appearance as a soloist with orchestra at age four, and made her European debut wit Portugal Gulbenkian Orchestra when she was ten. The energy and virtuosity she puts into her interpretations are intense and she bring music to life.
In this Masterworks Series program,St. John will join the South Florida Symphony Orchestra to perform Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a group of four violin concerti, each of which gives a musical expression to a season of the year. The masterpieces were published in 1725 in Amsterdam. “I have performed the Four Seasons with Lara. Many have performed the Vivaldi Four Seasons, Lara turns the music into theatre. Through her violin we see the dance and song of country folk, the barking dog, the sleeping drunkard. The Four Seasons is full of activity and Lara St. John bring this to her audience leaving us all feeling such joy,” explains Maestra Alfonso.
To round up his masterful ode to nature, the Orchestra will be playing Beethoven’s Symphony 6th – Pastoral -, one of the composer’s central works and favored by many listeners. The Pastoral represents the profound love of the composer toward nature and the equilibrium he found in his frequents walks in the country.
Regarding In this Heart, which will set the tone for the show as the opening piece, it was originally composed for the film Carlito’s Way, Rise to Power. In words of Nardi, “it has evolved to become an expressive concert work of deep emotions.”
Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso, South Florida Symphony founder and conductor, is exhilarated about this series as well as the many other new projects and partnerships that she and her team planned to celebrate their 20th anniversary. For the exhilarating and diverse 20th Anniversary series they have already partnered with the renowned Martha Graham Company and Siudy Flamenco, and GRAMMY-award winner cellist Zuill Bailey, as well as Broadway actress and magnificent singer Liz Callaway. “Our goal is to continue growing and educating South Florida’s residents and visitors about the value that music brings to their lives. We are thrilled about the success the previos masterworks series have had in bringing together dynamic and exhilarating performances and look forward to welcoming the community to this series,” said Maestra.
For ticket sales and additional information on schedules, please visit https://www.southfloridasymphony.org/events.
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