The Quincy Symphony Orchestra will feature three of the area’s most talented high school musicians in the “Winter Daydreams” concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at Quincy Junior High School. The QSO and the young artists are under the baton of Music Director Bruce Briney.
The soloists, winners of the 61st annual Young Artists Competition, are Emma Binosi, Theodore Li and Sophie Walker. The purpose of the Young Artists competition is to provide outstanding high school musicians the opportunity to perform as a concert soloist, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Such a performance can be a springboard for a young person to choose a lifelong commitment to the arts. Miss Binosi, a student at Quincy Senior High, will perform on violin M. Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor.” Mr. Li, a student at Macomb Senior High, will perform on piano Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major” and Miss Walker, a student at Macomb Senior High, will perform on viola F.A. Hoffmeister’s “Viloa Concerto in D Major.”
In keeping with the young musician focus, the QSO will host the Quincy Area Youth Orchestra for the concert opener, sharing a side-by-side performance of portions of Prokofiev’s “Lieutenant Kije.” QAYO Conductor Dr. Rich Cangro will conduct the joint orchestras for this lively selection.
The Quincy Symphony Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s rarely heard “Symphony No. 1.” The work earned the nickname “Winter Daydreams” from the first movement that the composer claimed describes “dreams of a winter journey.”
When Tchaikovsky wrote his First Symphony in 1866, when he was 26 years old; but he was so self-critical that he continued to tinker with the score on and off for the next eight years. Although his brother said the piece required more effort and caused more suffering than his other works, Tchaikovsky remained fond of it. In 1883 he wrote that “although it is in many ways very immature, yet fundamentally it has more substance and is better than any of my other more mature works.”
Tickets will be available at the door or may be purchased in advance from the Symphony office at 200 N. 8th, at Quincy Hy-Vee stores, or from Sturhahn Jewelers, 2801 Broadway. The cost is $18 for adults and $15 for seniors. Thanks in part to support from the Tracy Family Foundation, children 18 and under are admitted free to all QSO concerts, and are encouraged to attend.
Flexi-tickets (6 tickets for $70) will be available at the concert, offering a 35% discount over adult single-admission prices. The performance is made possible in part by Music Sponsor Quincy Medical Group and by the Illinois Arts Council Agency. The Explorations season sponsors are Blessing Health System, Gardner Denver and Knapheide Manufacturing Company.
QSOA will kick off its annual fundraising raffle at the concert and appreciates support from the community. Raffle tickets will be for sale at the concert for $10 each or 12/$100, and are also available from any chorus, orchestra, Encore! or board member. The $1,000 grand prize drawing will be held at the “Shostakovich 5” Finale Concert on April 17. Buy tickets early to also be included in the Early Bird drawing for $250 cash on March 5. The winner need not be present. Raffle proceeds will support the many programs of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association, including the youth orchestra, youth choirs and concerts for children. Visit www.qsoa.org or call QSOA at 222-2856 for more information.
