The Meadows Symphony Orchestra, made up of talented students from around the globe, and conducted by SMU music professor Paul Phillips, will kick off its season with “Russian Expressions.” The orchestra will perform works by Russian composers, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Russian Easter Overture,” Alexander Borodin’s “In the Steppes of Central Asia,” Sofia Gubaidulina’s “Fairytale Poems,” and Dmtri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5.” The concert will be held on Sept. 15 and 17.
Next on the slate is “The Craft of Composition.” Performed on Oct> 20 and 22, the concert will include artfully composed pieces, such as Beethoven’s “Leonora Overture No. 3,” Luigi Dallapiccola’s “Piccolo Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra” featuring European concert pianist and SMU alumnus, Raffaele Mani, and Robert Schumann’s “Symphony No. 4.”
Rounding out the semester is “Sculptures in Sound,” which will be held Nov. 17 and 19 and will consist of works by Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski and Austrian composer and organist Anton Bruckner. All Orchestra events are to be performed in Caruth Auditorium.
Another Meadows offering is the Meadows Wind Ensemble, composed of the best winds, brass and percussion from Meadows, and conducted by Jack Delaney, SMU professor of music and director of bands.
Kicking off their 31 year on Sept. 29, the Wind Ensemble will hold “In The Beginning,” a concert featuring performances of Darius Milhaud’s “La Creation du Monde” and a set of tangos by Astor Piazzolla. Also included are works by Toru Takemitsu, Igor Stravinsky, Jonathan Newman and Meadows alumnus composer, Frank Ticheli.
On Oct. 13, the Wind Ensemble will perform “Classics for Chamber Winds,” which will showcase students from the Meadows School instrumental conducting program sharing the program with conductor, Jack Delaney.
In a stroke of clever theming, the MWE will perform “Old, New, Borrowed and Blue” on Nov. 5. The concert will run with the wedding tradition and feature something old, a Gabrieli piece from 1597, something new, Joel Puckett’s new work, something borrowed, a transcription of a Paul Hindesmith piece, and something blue, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Like the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, all performances will be held in Caruth Auditorium.
Meadows is also proud to present the Meadows Opera Theatre, offering unique shows in its original language with English translations projected above the stage. The company is led by Marciem Bazell, who has directed for opera companies across the United States.
This fall, Meadows Opera Theatre presents Peter Brook’s 1983 adaptation of Bizet’s “Carmen,” which consists of four singers, two actors and an orchestra of 10 players. The Spanish drama will be performed in French with English supertitles on Nov. 28 and 29, in the Greer Garson Theatre.
Also shining this semester are the Meadows Chorale and the Meadows Concert Choir. The Meadows Chorale is a chamber ensemble comprised solely of vocal performance majors, while the Meadows Concert Choir is a group intended for both music majors and non-majors. Both choirs are conducted by Alfred Calabrese, who made his professional operatic debut last year as conductor of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I Pagliacci “with the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival.
The Meadows Chorale and Concert Choir will perform the “Son of God Mass” by the young British composer James Whitbourn on Oct. 3. The concert will feature selections of classical pieces performed by the Chorale and will be performed in Caruth Auditorium.
On Nov. 14 and also in Caruth Auditorium, the Meadows Chorale will perform several contemporary pieces, including Distler’s “Singet dem Herrn,” Britten’s “Deus in adjutorium meum,” and Vaughan Williams’ “Rest.” The Concert Choir will join in for Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux Aeterna.”
Between all the organizations of Meadows Music, this concert season looks to be an exceptional display of rhythm and melody on the SMU campus. For ticket information, please call the Meadows Ticket Office at 214-768-2787.
