Young musicians to shine at Sinfonietta Bel Canto’s Concerto Competition
On Sunday, Jan. 25, the Sinfonietta Bel Canto will be hosting the Finalists Concert of its annual Concerto Competition for young musicians. Enjoy this wonderful display of area talent.
The orchestra also will celebrating the 250th anniversary of America, with works by African American composers William Grant Still (1895-1978) and Clarence Cameron White (1880-1960).
William Grant Still’s Symphonic poem “Darker America” was composed in 1924. It explores themes of sorrow, hope, and prayer. In the work, you can hear so much of the language of Black American music: descending melodic curves, pentatonic scales, blues scales, and a harmonic foundation based on the early American Spiritual and early Ragtime.
The work suggests the triumph of a people and is a masterpiece of American composition. Still was one of the most prolific American composers of his time. He composed nearly 200 works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, and more than 30 choral works, art songs, chamber music and solo works. Still is often referred to as the “Dean of Afro-American Composers.”
White’s “The Four Spirituals” (1918), also known as “The Bandanna Sketches,” is a collection of four Negro spirituals composed for orchestra. It was arranged by Chase Roberts. White was considered the foremost black violinist in the first decade of the 20th century. The spirituals include “Chant: Nobody Knows the Trouble I‘ve Seen,” “Lament: I’m Troubled in Mind,” “Slave Song: Many Thousand Gone,” and “Negro Dance: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.”
The finalists for the concerto competition are divided into four categories with each category competing for cash prizes as well as a $100 audience favorite award.
In the Winds/Brass, up to age 18: Hannah Mei Horgan, flute, playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Flute Concerto No. 1: 1st movement; and Raeya Ross Stewart, oboe, playing Joseph Haydn Oboe Concerto 1st movement.
In the Strings/Harp, up to age 18: Nanane Sawada, violin, playing Nicolo Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1: 1st movement; and Darren Song, viola, playing William Walton Viola Concerto I: 1st Movement.
In the Piano Junior, up to age 13: Jingyan (Eddie) Ouyang playing Joseph Haydn Piano Concerto in D major H.XV111:11: 1st movement; and Shruti Prasad playing Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto in G minor op. 25: 3rd movement.
In the Piano Senior, up to age 18: Mika Matsuyama. playing Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No 2 in G Minor: 1st movement; and Daniel Razminia, playing Frederic Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 in E Minor: 1st movement.
The concert will be at 4 p.m. at the beautiful and acoustically pleasing St. Paul United Church of Christ, 5739 Dunham Road in Downers Grove.
Tickets are $25, $22 for age 65 or older, or $8 for students. Ticket information can be found through the SBC website, sinfoniettabelcanto.org. Parking is free and there is ample intimate seating.
This program is partially supported by grants from Arts DuPage (DuPage Foundation), the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.