NEWS RELEASE
Date: April 5, 2019 Contact: Lexi Locke
For Immediate Release Phone: 417.864.6683
Photos Available Upon Request Cell: 417.860.9690
lexi@springfieldmosymphony.org
Springfield Symphony features Latin Grammy nominee guitarist João Luiz
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Springfield Symphony is featuring guitarist João Luiz and a bagpiper in full regalia at its classical concert Will You Marry Me? on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts (525 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy). This concert will take audiences on a journey of romance and wedding celebrations with Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Maxwell Davies’ Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise.
“Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is a stunning piece of music,” said Kyle Wiley Pickett, music director/conductor for the Springfield Symphony. “It’s somewhat rare for the symphony to feature a guitar soloist, and this is one of the pieces that I get the most requests for. The second movement is very familiar to people, and it is totally evocative of southern Spain. Our soloist, João Luiz, is one of the best guitarists in the world.”
“Appalachian Spring is one of my favorite symphonic works. It is so quintessentially American – especially in its use of the old hymn tune Simple Gifts,” enamored Pickett. “This is a special performance, because it is the first time the SSO has performed the complete ballet score. This new edition of the score has finally made it possible for our audience to hear the complete work, as Aaron Copland wrote it for Martha Graham. To top it off, Peter Maxwell Davies’s Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise is a charming look at a Scottish wedding party that runs into the wee hours of the morning. I’m excited to bring this depiction of a boisterous Scottish evening full of parties and dancing to Springfield with highland bagpipes accompanying the orchestra!”
Pickett will deliver a pre-concert talk from the stage at 6:30 p.m. and pre-concert music will begin at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall box office, and can be purchased by calling (417) 836-7678 or online at www.missouristatetix.com. Ticket prices range from $10 – $40 and discounts are available for students and seniors.
Join Pickett at our free event, Behind the Baton, at the Springfield Art Museum on Thursday, April 11th (1111 E. Brookside Dr) for the opportunity to hear Pickett talk about the music that will be performed at the April concert. The meet & greet begins at 5:15 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:45 p.m.
Pickett is available for any interviews or questions. Please feel free to email him at kwpickett@gmail.com or call at (417) 837-9422. The concert is being sponsored by Reliable Superstore (Presenting Sponsor), Positronic Industries, Margo S. Armstrong, Springfield Symphony Guild, William T. White and 104.1 KSGF.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and an Equal Opportunity Employer. Additional funding for all Springfield Symphony Orchestra programming is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, visit www.springfieldmosymphony.org or www.facebook.com/springfieldsymphony.
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