Eckart Preu, Conductor
Kala Ramnath, Violin
Long Beach Ballet, Dancers
2023-2024 Bernstein
Nov 18, 2023 8:00 PM
| Stravinsky | Pulcinella Suite |
| Reena Esmail | Hindustani Violin concerto |
| Joplin | Treemonisha overture |
| Bernstein | Fancy Free |
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Long Beach Symphony, and this particular concert, are proud to be part of the California Festival, A Celebration of New Music. |
Long Beach Symphony presents an evening of exciting, contrasting musical styles and art forms, plus the introduction of a new soundscape where Indian and western classical music come together in a haunting and extraordinary piece about climate change.
It’s a combination of styles, full of energy and contrasts as we are joined by Hindustani violinist Kala Ramnath and Long Beach Ballet.
The evening starts with Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, a lighthearted piece narrating our antihero’s narrow escapes while pursuing his affairs of the heart; an intimate piece based on Baroque music of the 18th century and yet 20th century neoclassicism making it very entertaining and theatrical.
Guest Hindustani violinist virtuoso Kala Ramnath, renowned as the leading 21st century practitioner of Hindustani classical violin, will take the stage to perform highly sought-after and multiple-award-winning Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s Violin Concerto, who wrote this piece specifically for Ramnath and Hindustani violin — a rhythmically captivating tour-de-force for orchestra and Hindustani violin. The concerto aptly channels Esmail’s talent for weaving Western and Indian classical music traditions to paint melodic pictures both rapturous and melancholic. As part of this musical presentation, Long Beach Symphony is proud to be a participant in the CA Festival Celebration of New Music.
From Scott Joplin, known as “the King of Ragtime,” Treemonisha overture, from his three-act opera recently rediscovered in the 1990s, will be followed by the boisterous and jazzy, cool, effervescent, improvisatory, and toe-tapping Fancy Free by Leonard Bernstein where, appropriately, the Long Beach Ballet will take the stage.
Audiences can enjoy a relaxed, fun, yet elegant evening along the dancing fountains, firepits, and bars on the Plaza, and a 7pm Pre-Concert Talk that will give further context into the evening– with the ability to “Sip & Enjoy” in the concert hall.
In Music Director Eckart Preu’s own words…
About Kala Ramnath and her unique skills as a Hindustani violinist
Audiences will enjoy the Classical Series fun and elegant evening surrounded by the Terrace’s dazzling fountains and fire pits, live ensemble in the lobby, pre-concert talk to gain greater knowledge regarding the evening programming, and the ability to “Sip & Enjoy” in the concert hall.
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Eckart Preu, Conductor
Eckart Preu (Eck-art Proy) began his tenure as Music Director of Long Beach Symphony in 2017. Critics, the orchestra, and audiences alike have celebrated his ability to combine well-loved masterworks with rare or newer works in programs offering dimension, sophistication, and spirit. Preu also currently serves as …
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Kala Ramnath, Violin
Maestro Kala Ramnath stands among the world’s finest, most inspirational instrumentalists. Her playing has been featured on the Grammy-nominated Miles from India project, and compositions of hers have appeared on the Grammy-winning album In 27 Pieces and the Kronos Quartet’s 50 For The Future. The …
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Long Beach Ballet, Dancers
Long Beach Ballet Academy has been training professional ballet dancers for over 42 years. Best known locally for their annual production of The Nutcracker, this production has entertained over half a million audience members at the Terrace Theater. The Long Beach Ballet is led by Artistic …
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