Symphony Concert

[Feb 3 & 4]

The Symphony of the Redwoods is honored to welcome back cellist Stephen Harrison and violinist Jay Zhong to the Mendocino coast for their upcoming winter concerts. Led by Music Director Allan Pollack, the Symphony will perform Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No. 1 in C minor, Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, and Brahms’ Double Concerto with Zhong and Harrison as the featured soloists. Performances will be on Saturday, February 3 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 4 at 2pm at Cotton Auditorium in Fort Bragg.

Winter Concert
Saturday, February 3, 2018, 7:30pm
Sunday, February 4, 2018, 2pm

• Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No. 1 in C minor
• Brahms: Double Concerto, featuring Jay Zhong, violin; Stephen Harrison, cello
• Schumann: Symphony No. 2

Although it is now considered standard repertoire, Brahms’ Double Concerto was shunned at the time of its release. Brahms’ contemporaries, such as Clara Schumann, did not respond well to the piece, stating it was unapproachable and melancholy. However, with the right pairing of soloists, the Double Concerto creates a powerful super-stringed instrument, achieving ranges neither violin nor cello can reach individually.

Zhong and Harrison met each other last year while performing together as principals at the Mendocino Music Festival. “I loved Jay’s playing right from the start,” said Harrison. “His solo work in Scheherazade and his playing of the first fiddle part in the Schubert Cello Quintet were absolutely beautiful.” The duo also worked side-by-side as coaches for the festival’s Emerging Artists program, which gives young string musicians the opportunity to participate in a 2-week intensive workshop, as well as perform with the Festival Orchestra. “Stephen is a remarkable cellist with a lot of experience,” said Zhong. “He’s a very workable person. I’m glad to have been offered the opportunity to play with him again.”

All Symphony of the Redwoods concerts will be at Cotton Auditorium, 500 N. Harold Street, Fort Bragg. Tickets are available for $20 online at symphonyoftheredwoods.org, at Harvest Market and the Redwood Coast Senior Center in Fort Bragg, Out of This World in Mendocino, and at the door. Attendees 18 and under are always free. For more information, please contact our executive director, Alex Pierangeli, at 707-946-0898 or symphony@mcn.org. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/symphonyoftheredwoods.