England’s legendary Academy of St Martin in the Fields, one of “the world’s finest chamber orchestras” (South Florida Classical Review), known for its “delectable mix of drive and vibrant coloring” (Baltimore Sun), will perform March 4 as part of the 2023 Great Artists Series at Washington University in St. Louis.
The program, also featuring cellist Gary Hoffman, will open with Franz Schubert’s “Overture in C minor.” Dating from 1811, the piece is among Schubert’s earliest surviving works, written when the composer was just 14 years old. Next will be Robert Schumann’s “Concerto for Violoncello in A minor, Op. 129” (1850), a work that was never performed in Schumann’s lifetime, but premiered in 1860, four years after the composer’s death.
Following intermission, the program will continue with Aulis Sallinen’s sly literary pastiche “Chamber Music III, Op. 58 ‘The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote,’ Op. 58” (1986). Concluding the evening will be Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48.” Written during a visit to the Ukraine in the summer of 1880, the piece opens with a movement that Tchaikovsky called “my homage to Mozart,” followed by a Viennese-inspired waltz, a melancholy elegy and a finale inspired by Russian folk music.
Tickets and related events
Sponsored by the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences, the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in WashU’s E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall. Tickets are $40, or $32 for WashU faculty and staff, and $15 for students and children. The E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall is located in the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., at the intersection with Delmar Boulevard. Tickets are available through the Edison Theatre Box Office, 314-935-6543. For more information, visit music.wustl.edu.
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Gary Hoffman
Formed by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958 from a group of leading London musicians, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is renowned for its fresh interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music. Today, the academy retains the collegial spirit and flexibility of the original small, conductor-less ensemble. With the support of director Tomo Keller and principal guest conductor Murray Perahia, the academy continues to push the boundaries of play-directed performance to new heights.
Hoffman gained international renown as the first North American to win the Rostropovich International Cello Competition in 1986. He has appeared as a soloist with the Chicago, London, Montréal, Toronto, San Francisco, Baltimore, and National symphony orchestras; the English, Moscow, and Los Angeles chamber orchestras; Orchestre National de France; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; the Netherlands and Rotterdam philharmonics; and the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, among many others.
Read full biographies here.
About the Great Artists Series
The Great Artists Series hosts intimate recitals with some of the brightest stars on the contemporary concert stage. Following the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the 2023 series will continue March 26 with celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax. Virtuoso violinist Augustin Hadelich will conclude the series April 16.
