From Berks Sinfonietta
Berks Sinfonietta invites audiences to experience the homegrown chamber orchestra’s unique sound in its upcoming concert, Canto de Amor e Paz, on Saturday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m., at Atonement Lutheran Church in Wyomissing.
The July program highlights musical expressions of love and peace, bringing together works from three distinctive composers and featuring guest artist Jacob Leonowitz performing Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. Known for its jazz-influenced rhythms and sparkling orchestration, Ravel’s concerto is an engaging centerpiece for the evening rife with passion and drama.
“I’ve always loved listening to and studying the concertos of Bartok, Shostakovich, Ravel, and Prokofiev,” said Leonowitz, “It’s a 20th-century piano concerto, which is sort of my wheelhouse.” Performing Ravel’s concerto is in keeping with the sinfonietta’s mission of playing lesser-known works, he added. “When people think of piano concertos, they tend to think about Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, not necessarily Ravel.”
After studying with David Allen Wehr at Duquesne University and earning his master’s in music education from West Chester University, Leonowitz joined Governor Mifflin High School as the orchestra director and has conducted, taught, and led most of the school’s musical productions for the past 10 years.
The music of Claudio Santoro, a composer virtually unknown outside his native Brazil, is finally becoming better known worldwide through a series of recordings on the Naxos label, which is where David McConnell, Berks Sinfonietta’s Artistic Director, first heard his music. His Canto de Amor e Paz (Song of Love and Peace) is a brief but profoundly moving work, an ardent plea for peace that remains with the listener long after the music is finished. This will be the work’s regional premiere.
The concert concludes with Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 in D Major, a lively and elegant work that reflects the composer’s youthful energy and classical influences. With its bright melodies and spirited character, Schubert’s symphony provides a joyful finale to the program.
Berks Sinfonietta continues to reimagine classical music by bringing high-quality, lesser-known orchestral pieces to the Berks County community, with programming that reflects its commitment to an inter-generational approach and homegrown musicians.
