Bangor Symphony Orchestra to offer varied season

BANGOR – After a year marked by tremendous community support that enabled the Bangor Symphony Orchestra to reach 100 percent of its fund-raising goals, the orchestra is anticipating a buoyant 108th season.

The classical series begins on Sunday, Sept. 21, and offers a wide range of classical genres featuring young guest artists from around the world. Conductor and music director Xiao-Lu Li has made several additions to the season, including a “Spooktacular Classics” concert to celebrate Halloween and a sixth classical concert to close the season in May.

“There are three programming principles that I live by that are imperative to every orchestra and every audience that I make music for,” Li explained. “The music must challenge the orchestra. It must also be appealing to a wide audience. Finally, it must help to promote living classical composers.”

The Sept. 21 classical concert opens with “XL” by composer Dr. J. Mark Scearce, who lives in Portland. In 2001, the North Carolina Symphony commissioned Scearce to compose a work celebrating the 20th anniversary of the symphony’s music director and the opening of its new concert hall. The result was “XL,” described by its composer as “an outsized fanfare, full of life. … To the future!”

Anchoring the program are Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 2” and Paganini’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” with guest soloist Corey Cerovsek. Cerovsek has been featured on many television programs, including the “Tonight Show” and CBS’s “Sunday Morning.” He graduated at age 12 from the University of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music.

The Bangor Symphony performs “Spooktacular Classics,” a collection of light classics reflecting the spooky mood of Halloween, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Bangor High School. The mysterious, spine-tingling program will be enhanced by the costumes of symphony musicians and the maestro, activities including face-painting, mask-making, the Instrument Petting Zoo and the No Frowns Clowns, and an intermission costume parade.

The second classical concert of the season, scheduled for Nov. 9, is an all-Beethoven concert. The three Beethoven pieces programmed are the “Overture to Fidelio,” “Piano Concerto No. 5,” and “Symphony No. 3 (Eroica).”

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Robinson Ballet will perform the “Nutcracker” ballet at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. The story of a young girl’s transforming love and journey to a magical land will usher in the winter holidays for the 18th year of a Bangor tradition.

In downtown Bangor, the Maine Discovery Museum will add its “Nutcracker Neighborhood” exhibit to the festivities. Musicians, actors and dancers will conduct workshops and performances at the museum.

The first Bangor Symphony classical concert of 2004 will be held Feb. 1. The program features Rossini’s “Barber of Seville Overture,” Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor” and “Symphony No. 5” by Shostakovich. Joining the orchestra will be guest artist Phillipe Quint, playing a 1694 Antonio Stradivarius violin on loan to him from Machold Rare Violins in New York.

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s March 7th concert features another young soloist, clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, who will perform Weber’s “Clarinet Concerto No. 1.” Fiterstein was a 2001 winner of the Young Concert Artist auditions and played his New York debut recital in May 2002.

Along with Weber’s concerto, the Bangor Symphony will perform Verdi’s “Laforza del destino,” and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 (Titan).”

On Monday, March 8, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra will play for young people from schools all over the state. The BSO’s annual Youth Concerts bring almost 4,000 school children to the Maine Center for the Arts for three concerts.

This season, on April 18, Xiao-Lu Li has programmed a series of opera choruses, in addition to orchestral works, and expanded the classical series to six concerts. Once again the University of Maine Singers & Oratorio Society will sing with the orchestra. The selection of choruses includes Humming Chorus from “Madame Butterfly,” Matadors Chorus from “La Traviata” and Bell Chorus from “Pagliacci.”

The theme for the BSO’s May 16th season finale is “Great Achievements.” It marks a significant expansion of the classical series, and features two special musicians. The winner of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s Maine High School Concerto Competition will perform with the entire orchestra, and Jue Wang, who is currently a Bangor High School student, will hear the BSO perform his composition Elegy.

Li first heard Mr. Wang’s piece performed while rehearsing the Bangor High School orchestra for a concert. He was impressed with the piece even before learning that the composer was a student at the school.

“I am honored to conduct the orchestra playing Jue Wang’s piece for audiences in Bangor,” Li said. “This young man’s achievement should be applauded. The symphony is taking the initiative to show people the incredibly talented youth in this community.”