The BPO under the direction of resident conductor Robert Franz presents a program that features Tchaikovsky,Aeos Symphony No. 4 and Behzad Ranjbaran,Aeos Seven Passages, Persian Trilogy for Orchestra. Also featured is well-know jazz saxophonist James Carter (photo), performing Roberto Sierra,Aeos Concerto for Saxophones. Concerts are at Kleinhans Music Hall on Saturday, Dec. 2, 8 pm and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2:30 pm.
The Program begins with Ranjbaran,Aeos Seven Passages, Persian Trilogy for Orchestra. Bearing a dedication to BPO music director JoAnn Falletta, Seven Passages was completed in 2000, fulfilling a commission from the Long Beach Symphony. This work is the last of three pieces which comprise Ranjbaran,Aeos Persian Trilogy, preceded by Seemorgh and The Blood of Seyavash. Seven Passages reveals the composer,Aeos gift for symphonic color, set in an orchestration worthy of 20th century masters.
Although composer Roberto Sierra often blends Latin rhythms and motifs into his instrumental scores, the abiding influence in his Concerto for Saxophones is a mix of main-line and sophisticated American jazz. But the score requires a true, jazz virtuoso to conjure the dazzling potential of the music. Switch hitting between the tenor and soprano saxes, James Carter turns the piece into a personal tour de force, exploring and sometimes exploding the saxophone,Aeos natural two and half octave range into four octaves.
Ending the program is Tchaikovsky,Aeos Symphony No.4, considered his first symphonic masterpiece, is dedicated to the composer,Aeos long-time benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck.
For tickets to this concert, call the BPO Box Office at 885-5000 or visit www.bpo.org
This Classics Series concert is sponsored by M&T Bank.
Artists Profiles
Robert Franz is the resident conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Music Director of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra. He is also Music Director Emeritus of the Carolina Chamber Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Franz, a strong advocate of arts education, has designed and implemented arts education programs for the Carolina Chamber Symphony; The Buffalo Philharmonic, The Louisville Orchestra; the West End Chamber Ensemble; and the Winston-Salem Piedmont Triad Symphony. Mr. Franz received his Master of Music degree in conducting from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1992 and his Bachelor of Music degree in oboe performance in 1990 from that same institution.
James Carter was born in Detroit and grew up in a musical family, where he was constantly exposed to music ,Aei everything from Hendrix to P-Funk to Miles. Carter made his way impressively into the national spotlight as a solo artist in 1994 with his Atlantic debut, The Real Quietsorm, a ballad-infused collection that earned him both standing ovations and critical accolades of the highest order. On 15 February 2004, James Carter received one of the nations,Aeo highest cultural awards: The Dr. Alaine Locke award. The Detroit Institute of Arts and Friends of African and African American Art bestow this honor on individuals who have provided exemplary service and leadership in the promotion of African American culture.