Symphony’s Enigma to feature clarinetist Jon Manasse
Bozeman Symphony continues its unique and diverse 52nd concert season of new and classic symphonic repertoire with Enigma this month. Performances take place Saturday, March 7th, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 8th, at 2:30pm, both at the Willson Auditorium.
Jon Manasse
The concerts will feature the work of American composer Aaron Copland and his Concerto for Clarinet. The Symphony welcomes the return of Jon Manasse, prize recipient of the International Competition for Clarinet in Munich, the youngest winner of the International Clarinet Society Competition, and current faculty member at the Juilliard school. The orchestra will be highlighted as they perform Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
The performances will introduce the Symphony’s fifth Music Director Finalist, Thomas Heuser. He will begin the program with his conductor choice selection, Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes (1953). Price (1887 – 1953), an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher, is the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra.
Heuser, like Price, was a pianist, playing for a student-run ensemble at Vassar College, and later became the director of the group, which propelled his love for conducting. Now, Heuser has been widely recognized for his stirring leadership and energetic presence both onstage and in the community. Currently, he serves as Music Director of the Idaho Falls Symphony, as well as the San Juan Symphony, an innovative regional orchestra based in Durango, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico, that serves the Four Corners. Thomas lives in scenic Durango with his wife, violinist Lauren Avery, and their son Theodore.
Adult tickets for Enigma range $27 to $67 with student discounts available. A limited number of rush tickets are also available, based on availability. Tickets for all Bozeman Symphony performances may be reserved in advance at www.bozemansymphony.org or at the door, based on availability. Those interested may also visit the Symphony offices, located at 1001 W Oak, Ste. 110, or call (406) 585-9774 for further details.
The Symphony wishes to thank David Ross and Risi for their season sponsorship and Donald Gimbel for sponsoring these performances. •
