The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) announced today that it will perform two world premieres at its 2021/2022 ProMedica Masterworks season finale on Friday, June 3, 2022 at 8PM at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater. The program on Friday evening includes George Gershwin’s Catfish Row showcasing melodies from his opera Porgy and Bess, the world premiere of Origin Story by local composer Christopher Dietz for the TSO, as well as the world premiere of Music Director Alain Trudel’s Piano Concerto. The one-night-only performance is made possible by The Trust Company Family Offices.

“At our 2021/2022 season finale, we pay tribute to the resilience of American creators with one of the most well-known works by George Gershwin, his Catfish Row, which is a symphonic suite from the famous opera Porgy and Bess, as well as two world-premieres that were written during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Alain Trudel, TSO Music Director. “Paired with the premiere of Dietz’s Origin Story, we have invited pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin to perform Alter(e), my new work for piano and orchestra. It’s going to be a spectacular evening celebrating American music!”

Alain Trudel has served as the TSO’s Music Director since the 2018/2019 season. Since his inaugural season, the orchestra has performed several of his works, including Rhea (2008) in September 2018 and most recently his String Quartet No. 1 (1984) in March 2021. The TSO will conclude its 2021/2022 season with his piano concerto, Alter(e).

“The term ‘alter,’ has many meanings – to adjust, change, modify, reshape, revise – which to me, reflects the last several years of our lives,” continues Trudel. “The pandemic kept us apart. Writing this work allowed me to feel close to those important to me, including my Toledo Symphony family. This work is dedicated to all of them.”

Christopher Dietz, Associate Professor of Composition at Bowling Green State University holds a Ph.D. in composition and theory from the University of Michigan where he studied with William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, Michael Daugherty, Betsy Jolas, and Andrew Mead. His works have been featured at new music festivals, including Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s New Music Workshop, NUNC!, soundSCAPE (Italy), The Etchings Festival of Contemporary Music (France), The Queens New Music Festival, New Music on the Point, Florida State’s Biennial Festival, Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, Tutti Festival of New Music, MusicX Festival, and more. The Toledo Symphony most recently performed Dietz’s orchestral work Caldera (2004) in 2018 and will premiere Origin Story at the one-night-only performance.

Origin Story (2019) weaves together three different perspectives on creation into an evocative orchestral tapestry. The piece depicts the formation of humankind out of mud and dust, from the battle between opposing forces, and as the result of eons of exploding stars seeding the universe with the heavy elements necessary for life as we know it.

“I am very eager to present this work to the public after its premiere was cancelled in April of 2020 due to COVID,” says Dietz. “Maestro Trudel and the Toledo Symphony have been wonderful artistic partners. It will be a joy to finally hear it after such a long wait.”

HOW TO ATTEND:

What: America in the Key of Gershwin
When: Friday, June 3, 2022, 8PM
Where: Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle Theater
In-person Ticket Cost: Tickets start at $22. Student rush tickets are $5 at the door.
More info: Visit toledosymphony.com, stop by the TAPA Box Office located at 1838 Parkwood Avenue, or call 419.246.8000.

Tickets to the Toledo Symphony’s 2021/2022 season finale are available now. For more information, please contact Vanessa Gardner, Director of Marketing & Communications at vgardner@artstoledo.com.

ABOUT TOLEDO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a community-supported organization of professional musicians and teachers who deliver quality performance and music education for all.

Formed in 1943 as The Friends of Music and incorporated in 1951 as the Toledo Orchestra Association, Inc., the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to a regional orchestra that employs sixty-nine professional musicians who consider the Toledo Symphony their primary employer, as well as numerous extra players annually as repertoire demands.

On January 1, 2019, the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet officially merged to form the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), a new non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional live music and dance performances and education for the region. This partnership promises to create new and invigorating programs, provide cost and revenue synergies in operations, and integrate the arts through shared educational missions.

The Toledo Symphony reaches more than 260,000 individuals annually through performances and education programs. The series concerts (Masterworks, Pops, Chamber series) are the critical underpinning of the orchestra’s artistic mission and regularly draw people from 135 postal zip codes. Education programs, student performances, and community concerts are held in schools, neighborhood churches, performing arts centers, and community facilities throughout the region; many are offered at no charge or provided at a reduced fee to help expand participation.