“The 2017-2018 season promises to be the best ever,” said Wilson. “I have tried to balance musical expression that has resonated with our audiences to create some interesting challenges along the way.”
The season, which will begin Oct. 7, consists of six concerts, including four MasterWorks concerts and two NightLights shows at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
The MasterWorks series will celebrate the Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano that resides in the Kuss Auditorium. With recent renovations restoring the instrument to its original quality, four talented guest performers will test its mettle.
Appropriately, the youngest will be first: Gavin George, age 14. He’s performed with Wilson previously and will take on “Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4” during the Oct. 7 opener.
“Our audiences have long enjoyed witnessing the early stages of promising careers and Gavin will be no exception,” Wilson said. “He has a lot to say, even at his young age and our audience will be impressed with the technique and musical intellect of this prodigious talent.”
The antithesis of George will be seasoned pianist Misha Dichter, who has performed here before and will return for the March 24 show to play the “Gershwin Concerto in F,” a piece Wilson has looked forward to sharing with Springfield.
That show will also feature a tribute to the 100th birthday of famed conductor Leonard Bernstein. Wilson said Bernstein had a tremendous influence on his career and will do further salutes to him in the next year. Also at that show, Yellow Springs native Drew Hemenger will perform music of our time.
Wilson will also be reunited with pianists Pascal and Ami Roge for the Feb. 17 concert, devoted to the French repertoire, which Wilson said he’s always been drawn to and create an evening with varying sounds.
The season and MasterWorks Series closer on April 14 will have a biblical theme with Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” influenced by the prophet. A slew of guest soloists will add to the occasion including the Symphony Chorale.
The first NightLights Series show, “Cirque Musica: Heroes and Villains,” will combine symphonic music from several contemporary music scores with aerial acrobatics on Nov. 18.
“Similar concerts have sold out the Kuss Auditorium in the past and ours will be the world premiere of this enormously popular new show,” said Wilson.
The other NightLights performance will feature Springfield’s own violinist sisters Kanako and Mariko Shimasaki during the Jan. 20 concert.
“The event will allow us to check in with these delightful, enormously talented young women who were born right here,” said Wilson.
Single and Select Three tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 5. Season subscriptions are available now.
For more information, go to www.springfieldsym.org/event/the-2017-2018-season/.
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