This weekend’s Mid-Texas Symphony Concert features two Nordic composers whose music looked south, touched by the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea. TPR’s Barry Brake has this short preview of the program, happening Sunday, Nov. 3 at 4:00 p.m. in New Braunfels, with Akiko Fujimoto, Music Director of the orchestra.
Barry Brake: Akiko Fujimoto, hello!
Akiko Fujimoto: Hi, Barry!
Brake: So good to have you on the show. Okay, tell us everything we need to know about Sunday.
Fujimoto: Well, we have a great program coming up. Our main work is Sibelius’ Second Symphony, one of his most popular pieces (after “Finlandia”), and it's a really powerful symphony that's become synonymous with Finnish independence. We're going to open the concert with an overture by Carl Nielsen, another Nordic composer, but a Dane— he wrote this amazing overture called the “Helios Overture.” Helios, of course, is the sun god riding in the golden chariot, and this is a piece that depicts the sunrise and sunset. So we're really looking forward to featuring these two pieces.
Brake: Fantastic. Sounds like an amazing show, and it's all happening this coming Sunday, 4 p.m. on the 3rd, Canyon High School Performing Arts Center over in New Braunfels. And all the information that you need is mtsymphony.org, we've heard you're going to do the Sibelius. We've heard you're going to do the Nielsen. And we got a special guest. Is that right?
Fujimoto: Yes, we have the principal trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Micah Wilkinson, joining us for the trumpet concerto by Alexander Arutiunian, a Soviet-Armenian composer. And this piece was written in 1950, and it is full of Armenian lyricism and great rhythm, great melodies, and Micah is a true virtuoso on the trumpet, so we're very honored to have him join us.
Brake: I cannot wait. You know, I've never heard the Arutiunian in person live, but I mean, it's full of show biz, too!
Fujimoto: It is, it is a tour de force for the soloist, of course, and there's a lot of back and forth with the orchestra. It's all in one movement, but it's got so many great segments that have great melodies and really powerful stuff.
