THSO to perform “Dance Around the World” on November 5
[Terre Haute, IN] – Czech Dances, Hungarian Dances, Jazz & Blues, and even Highland folk dances! It’s an evening made for dance lovers and toe-tappers! On November 5, 2022, at 7:30 pm, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra presents Dance Around the World featuring the THSO’s own Principal Pianist Tim Stephenson performing Florence Price’s Concerto in One Movement. The concert will also feature Zoltán Kodálys’ Dances of Galanta, Orawa by renowned film composer Wojciech Kilar, and a powerful performance of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8!
Hailed as “a phenomenal pianist who brings a spontaneity and passion to his performance that seems almost improvisational” (The Republic, 2019), the THSO is proud to feature Principal Pianist Timothy Stephenson performing Concerto in One Movement by Florence Price. Much of Florence Price’s superb music was hidden away in an attic, unknown and unperformed, until it was discovered less than three decades ago. Filled with American dance rhythms, Price’s composition echoes 19th Century Romanticism and impressionistic, occasionally jazz-influenced figurations.
Stephenson shared his excitement about performing Price’s concerto. “I am very much looking forward to performing Florence Price's piano concerto with the THSO! The piece is somewhat like a sampling of all her musical influences: Brahms, Dvorak, gospel music, jazz & blues-style dances, and more - it all comes together as a representation of what America is: a melting pot of so many cultures and identities.”
Based in Indianapolis, Stephenson made his professional Midwest debut in February 2019 with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, performing Grieg’s piano concerto under the baton of Dr. David Bowden. Having received top prizes in over a dozen international and local competitions, Stephenson was the winner of the 2018 Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition, 2018 Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition, and 2017 Chapman-Neeson Piano Competition. Stephenson is a doctoral candidate at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and received his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Florida State University.
Dances of Galanta was composed in 1933 on a commission from the Philharmonic Society of Budapest. Kodály responded with a sort of musical memoir. Galanta (now in Slovakia) was a small town where Kodály spent several years of his childhood. After discovering some collections of Hungarian dances, which contained music “after several gypsies from Galanta,” the composer adapted the themes in an effort to preserve and continue these ancient traditions.
American audiences may know of Kilar as a composer of film scores, including Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Truman Show, and The Pianist. Orawa was written as part of a sequence of pieces evoking the Tatra Mountains, inspired either by the landscape itself, or the folk music of the region. It seems to have held a special place in Kilar’s heart; he notes it was “the only piece in which I would not change a single note, though I have looked at it many times. What I have achieved in it is what I always strive for—to be the best possible Kilar.”
The concert will close with Dvořák’s gorgeous Symphony No. 8, composed at home in the Bohemian countryside that he loved. This was a time of unusual musical fertility for the composer; he complained that his head was so full of ideas that his pen could not keep up. Dvořák’s biographer stated that “the symphony wasn’t important for its form, but for its spirit: “this symphony is not profound…it is a simple lyric singing of the beauty of our country.”
This concert is proudly sponsored by John and Jane Morse, the Terre Haute Symphony League, Fireplace World, and our guest artist sponsor Dr. Bill Hughes.
Tickets
Patrons can purchase concert tickets by visiting www.thso.org or calling the Hulman Center at (812) 237-3737. Tickets start at $17 for adults and $4 for children and students. Prices do not include facility and venue fees.
Supper at the Symphony
Make it a date night with a concert and Supper at the Symphony! Come to the concert early and enjoy a delectable three-course meal served in the McKee Family Heritage Ballroom of Tirey Hall, right down the hall from Tilson Auditorium. The cash bar opens at 5:00pm, and dinner is served promptly at 5:30pm. Dinner reservations are $25 per person. Patrons will enjoy a salad to start and choose one entrée of either Braised Beef Siciliano with Tomato Basil Sauce over Egg Noodle, Chicken Breast Florentine, or Pasta Primavera with Creamy Alfredo Sauce (vegetarian option). All entrees are served with green beans and blistered tomatoes. Pumpkin cheesecake with maple whipped cream will be served for dessert. Reservations can be made at www.thso.org or by calling the THSO office at (812) 242-8476. Reservations close at 12pm on Tuesday, November 1.
Parking
Patrons are offered free parking in the Indiana State Parking garage located at 750 Cherry Street between 4 PM and 11 PM on the day of the concert. This parking garage is located across the street from Tilson Auditorium.