World renowned violinist to perform in WSO’s Heart Strings concert
Chee-Yun will be performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto during the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra's Heart Strings concert Feb. 16. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The Palace Theater, 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. Ticket prices for the concert range from $15 to $60 and may be purchased at the door or can be reserved by calling the orchestra office at 724-837-1850 or http://www.westmorelandsymphony.org.
Submitted photo
Chee-Yun will be performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto during the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Heart Strings concert Feb. 16.
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra is offering something special over Valentine’s Day weekend with the “Heart Strings” concert.
The performance will be a combination of Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances” performed by the orchestra followed by Chee-Yun performing Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto.”
Chee-Yun is a world renowned musician having performed on five different continents over her career.
Her first public performance was at the age of 8 years, and at the age of 13 years, she came to the United States and was invited to perform with the New York Philharmonic.
She has won the Young Concert Artist International Auditions and has received the Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Over the years she has performed with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas and the NHK Symphony in Japan.
Endy Reindl, executive director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, said this will be the first time that Chee-Yun will perform with the orchestra.
“She is just a power house when it comes to the violin,” Reindl said. “Her technique, her grace on the stage as a performer — it’s just hard to deny. She has that ‘wow’ factor.”
He added that another wow factor to the performance is the fact that Chee-Yun plays a violin made by Francesco Ruggieri in 1669.
“It’s rumored to have actually been buried with a previous owner,” Reindl said. “But if you listen to it now, it doesn’t sound any more than 75 years old — it still has an extremely crisp, new and fresh sound.”
Pairing Bartok’s piece with the “Violin Concerto,” was no accident.
“We have performed the folk dances before, but it has been quite awhile,” Reindl said. “The pieces are all about celebrating different regions of Romania.”
He added that the concert builds in intensity from the folk dances into Tchaikovsky.
“The ‘Violin Concerto’ is very energetic and in-your-face,” Reindl said. “It’s extremely exciting so Bartok’s piece is a nice build-up to Tchaikovsky.”
The concert will conclude with the performance of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 4.”
“Beethoven’s piece has a lush sound — more melodic,” Reindl said. “The Bartok and Tchaikovsky pieces are like smarties candies during the first half and then Beethoven comes in like a piece of smooth, dark chocolate in the second half.”
He added that he’s excited for the performance and the fact that the orchestra can draw such talent as Chee-Yun.
“It’s a compliment not just to the orchestra, but to our local neighborhoods that support us and who are there for the arts and music,” Reindl said. “We continue to grow because of that support.”
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Palace Theater, 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. Ticket prices for the concert range from $15 to $60 and may be purchased at the door or can be reserved by calling the orchestra office at 724-837-1850 or http://www.westmorelandsymphony.org.