Season to open with ‘Fire, Sun and Water’

Charlie Albright in concert. Photo by Tatsunori Hashimoto.
Charlie Albright in concert. Photo by Tatsunori Hashimoto.

On Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 7:00 pm in Twichell Auditorium at Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 10th Anniversary with Charlie Albright along with Maestro Sarah Ioannides conducting.

     “The Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to present our opening night concert with such a commanding pianist as Charlie Albright,” said Interim Executive Director, Kathryn Boucher. “His charisma and talent will reflect the high quality of guest artists that Music Director Sarah Ioannides has lined up for her 10th Anniversary Season in Spartanburg. We are looking forward to a powerful and celebratory season with Sarah’s remarkable guidance!”

     Hailed as “among the most gifted musicians of his generation” by the Washington Post, Albright has been praised for his “jaw-dropping technique and virtuosity meshed with a distinctive musicality,” said the New York Times.

     With an already other extensive background of accomplishments,(http://charliealbright.com) Albright has also appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops, the Seattle Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony, the Lansing Symphony, the Fort Smith Symphony, the Hilton Head Symphony, the Great Falls Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. He has also performed recitals at the Morgan Library & Museum, the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Gilmore Rising Stars Series and the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, and at the Harvard Musical Society.

     The orchestra will also perform Danish composer Carl Nielson’s Helios Overture, who wrote in all genres, is best known for his symphonies and short orchestral works as well as the SPO will deliver, ‘Moldau’ from Ma Vlast by Bedřich Smetana, who is considered the father of Czech music.

     “This is sure to be one of the most exciting concerts ever presented by the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra,” Ioannides said. “This program draws on the powerful force of the earth’s nature and man’s imagination. These elements are pulled together with folk dances that evoke a hearty celebration. One that I felt would be meaningful to our audiences, both symphony newcomers and long-term supporters.”

     For more details and tickets, see www.spartanburgphilharmonic.org.