Guest Conductor Jinwook Park Photo by Susan Wilson
The Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rohan Smith, continues its 34th concert season with a concert entitled “A New Artistic Mélange” to be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St. in Lewiston, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the Orion Performing Arts Center at 50 Republic Ave, in Topsham.
The program at both concerts consists of three pieces from different centuries showcasing the evolution of classical music through the years. Beginning with Jessie Montgomery’s “Hymn for Everyone,” the concerts continue withMozart’s “Prague” Symphony No. 38, and conclude with “Enigma Variations,” by Edward Elgar. Both concerts will be conducted by guest Artist Jinwook Park, a member of the Colby College faculty and the Music Director of the Colby Symphony Orchestra and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra.
Guest Conductor Jinwook Park is a conductor and violinist who enjoys a versatile career as a music director, performer, and educator. He is the founder and the music director of Haffner Sinfonietta, and the former music director of Philharmonia Boston. Currently Mr. Park is a member of the Colby College faculty and serves as the Music Director of the Colby Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Park is thrilled to be conducting with the MSO as his engagement as guest conductor in March 2020 ended prematurely due to the pandemic. When asked about this concert’s program, he stated “Elgar’s Enigma variation and Mozart’s Symphony No.38 are my favorite pieces, and I always want to conduct them. This is my first time conducting “Hymn for Everyone” by Jessie Montgomery. She is an acclaimed American composer, violinist, and educator, so studying her musical works will be a good opportunity.” He further went on to say that he would “like the audience to enjoy the style, harmony, and melody of the pieces by different composers from different eras.”
“A New Artistic Mélange” continues a year-long celebration of the 20th season of long-time MSO Music Director Rohan Smith. The concert begins with “A Hymn for Everyone,” a poignant reflection on the effects of the COVID pandemic by Jessie Montgomery, a recent winner of the 2024 Grammy for best contemporary classical composition for another work of hers. The MSO is looking forward to sharing another piece by this well-known American violinist, composer and educator after having previously played “Banner” in 2021. The second work in the program is Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, often called the “Prague” symphony after the city in which it was first performed in 1787. Many audience members will recognize this strikingly innovative piece by one of music’s most revered composers. The finale of the concert is “Enigma Variations,” 14 musical sketches by Edward Elgar reflecting a myriad of personalities in the composer’s life at the end of the nineteenth century. The stellar reputation of this inventive piece of music is well earned based on the depth and breadth of the human experiences it conjures to mind.
The Midcoast Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra founded in 1990. Started as a chamber orchestra, there are now more than 80 members. The MSO performs a full range of orchestral literature from the classical to modern periods with four regular concerts each season at the Franco Center in Lewiston and the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham. A community-based organization, the orchestra draws players and audiences from south of Portland to Rockland along the coast, and inland from Augusta to the Lewiston-Auburn area. Its members all volunteer their time to practice and perform with the Midcoast Symphony. Under the baton of Rohan Smith, the orchestra continues to attract ever more professional-caliber musicians and award-winning guest artists.
Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door. All concert tickets are free for children and college students with ID.
For tickets or more information, call the box office at 207-481-0790. or visit midcoastsymphony.org.
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