Notes from Jay

March 2010

Dear Friends,

My greetings. As we enter the month of March, the hoopla for “March Madness” is about to begin. For you college basketball fans, I am not referring to the tournaments, but rather for those of us who have had enough (too much?) of winter, and are veering towards the edge of the cliff…

For those of you who are in this precarious situation, we have just the right cure. The Sinfonia’s March Winter Concert Series program is just around the corner. And what a program it will be. I am sure you all know that my son Loren will be performing Mozart 20th piano concerto with us. Over the years, I have conducted 9 or 10 of Mozart’s finest, but this particular concerto has eluded me for over 30 years. It is only one of two concertos that are in a minor key, which makes both of them all the more dramatic and appealing. I think without question, this concerto is one of Mozart’s very best, and I have to thank Loren for choosing it, and giving me the opportunity to perform it with him. Without question, this will be a highlight of all highlights for me, and hopefully for you as well.

We will also be performing a special new work by local composer, Stanley Woolner. This piece has a personal touch, as Mr. Woolner composed it in memory of his daughter, Katherine, who died at a very young age. It is an emotional yet very appealing work, and I am very pleased to be able to introduce it to you. If you would like to know more about Katherine in Memoriam, be sure to attend Mr. Woolner's "Meet the Composer" event at the Basilica of St. Mary on Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m. (immediately before the concert). Mr. Woolner will speak about his work, and the story that inspired it. Just like all our events, "Meet the Composer" will be free.

And speaking of new works, we will be premiering my latest, Overture for Tough Times. Originally, I was going to dedicate it to Joyce, my wife of almost 36 years, but once I came up with the title, I thought twice about the dedication. Sorry dear, next time. And the concert will end with one of Edvard Grieg’s most popular works, the suite from Peer Gynt.

Being the eternal optimist, I think winter is on the wane, which means summer is fast (but not fast enough) approaching. With that in mind, I am happy to announce that our first Summer Concert Series program in June will feature a very talented Korean virtuoso violinist, Hye-Jim Kim, who will be making her Minnesota debut with us. Minnesota debut or not, she is no stranger to the concert stage. Her concert appearances include the Philadelphia, BBC and New Jersey Orchestras, the Boston Pops and many prestigious festivals and recital appearances.

Our July Summer Concert Series program will continue with what is now becoming an annual tradition. I am referring, of course, to the Youth Outreach concert, where we will invite 25 of the most talented young players around to join us in a performance of Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony. And of course we will perform several of our Family Pops concerts throughout the Metro. More on those later.

I hope to see you at our concerts, and I encourage you to pass the word along to your friends and colleagues. And yes, by all means, bring the kids, the grandchildren, and although in the past I encouraged bringing your neighbor’s kids as well, I think I will leave that up to you.

See you on March 19 at Metro State (come early), or March 20th at the Basilica of Saint Mary. My best,

Jay