Now through the February, the MSO is celebrating our music education programs that provide the fundamentals of fostering the next generation of community leaders and builders. You can help support our community’s youth by giving today!
The MSO offers a limited amount of home stays for our musicians to help relieve the cost of finding lodging for our concerts. Support the MSO by opening up your home to one of our orchestra musicians! We welcome all interested to contact us, homes outside of Modesto are welcome too!
If you’re interested or want to learn more about this program click the link below:
Guest conductor Andrew Grams explores how music can tug at one's heartstrings in a way no other type of communication can.
Grams will conduct the MSO for the Barber & Brahms concerts with a program that will take our audiences on an emotional journey of love, loss, and the beauty of life. We’re also excited to have violinist Simone Porter to share her amazing energy and beautiful tone in Samuel Barber’s beloved Violin Concerto. The concert will conclude with Brahms’ Second Symphony, which will leave our audiences full of optimism.
Hear the works of Brouwer, Barber, and Brahms performed live by the MSO this February 10 & 11, 2023!
Andrew Grams, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Guest conductor Nicholas Hersh explores the great mysteries of life and death through the works of Schubert, Rachmaninoff, and Sibelius.
Hersh will lead the MSO for the Rachmaninoff & Sibelius concerts. This program gives us the opportunity to hear Hersh’s arrangement of the second movement of Schubert’s famous string quartet, Death and the Maiden. Then pianist George Li will be featured on Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and the program will finish with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. This breathtaking beauty captures 16 soaring swans when the strings mimic the fluttering of wings and a glorious, arching theme played by the French horns.
Hear the works of Schubert, Rachmaninoff, and Sibelius performed live by the MSO this November 11th & 12th, 2022!
Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Branford Marsalis, saxophone
Upcoming this October 21 & 22, internationally recognized pianist, Gabriela Martinez returns to Modesto to perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue alongside your Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Excited to have her back on the Gallo Center stage with us, we were able to catch up with what she has been up to since last performing with the MSO in 2018.
MSO: We’re so excited to have you back in Modesto performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue! Are there any specific emotions you feel while performing Rhapsody in Blue? What sort of imagery comes to mind?
Gabriela Martinez: Rhapsody in Blue is one of my favorite concertos to perform. It’s a truly magical piece where we see a world of “classical” music infused with unique jazz flavors. It is really an exciting piece to play as we get to experience a world of incredible contrasts – musical, texture, style, and color. We live through a wide range of emotions. There are amazing rhythmic solos, as well as lush inspired melodic orchestral sections.
MSO: Last time you visited us was in April 2018, performing Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain. What are you most excited about performing with the Modesto Symphony again?
GM: I am so looking forward to being back in Modesto! I loved my time in Modesto and really enjoyed playing with such an amazing orchestra! I am excited to play with them again and to meet with Maestro Dragon – his reputation precedes him. He is wonderful, and I am thrilled to work with him!
One unforgettable story about my last visit to Modesto -- while playing the last lyrical solo piano passage of the Falla… THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE GALLO CENTER!!! The whole concert hall was pitch black. (The power went out in the whole block, and the generator kicked in what must have been seconds, but felt like minutes on stage…) I have been performing concertos since I was 5 years old, and that was a first for me. Instinctively, I just kept going… and it’s a moment I will cherish forever! The comradery in those moments between audience, conductor, orchestra while navigating uncharted territory together before the power returned is something I will never forget.
MSO: Will you have any leisure time while in Northern California? Do you have any fun plans while being here?
GM: California is one of my favorite places on the planet. There’s never enough time to explore! It’s been a few years since I was in Modesto though. Would love to hear any recommendations of places to see, places to eat, have coffee… find me on Instagram @gabrielapiano
MSO: Any upcoming performances/projects are you looking forward to?
GM: I am really excited about my project, a recital program called RESONANCES which I am performing this season. RESONANCES is a journey that invites us to explore the echoes within us; to explore the search and inspiration that happens beneath the surface. It explores music from Brazil, Venezuela as well as new pieces by Caroline Shaw, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Viet Cuong and Missy Mazzoli.
Come watch Gabriela perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue this October 21 & 22 at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
To celebrate the "American Sound," guest conductor Christopher Dragon digs into the rediscovery of
Florence Price's long lost work and her rich legacy. Florence Price holds a significant place in American history as the first Black female American composer to have her symphony performed by a major symphony orchestra. However, her some of her work, including Concert Overture No.2, laid dormant for over 50 years in an abandoned home she once lived in until it was rediscovered in 2009 and brought back into the spotlight. Price's Concert Overture No. 2 reflects the expressive and distinctive sounds of Negro traditions, particularly the spirituals, ragtime, and folkdance rhythms whose origins trace back to Africa. This overture features the spirituals “Go Down, Moses,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” and “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.”
Hear Price's Concert Overture No. 2 performed live by the MSO this October 21st & 22nd, 2022!
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
Come join Ryan Murray & the MSO on a trip to a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert this June 3 & 4 at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
This June 3rd & 4th, the Modesto Symphony Orchestra travels to a galaxy far, far away when we perform Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert, live to film!
Previously MSO Associate Conductor Ryan Murray has conducted our past two film concerts: Pirates of the Caribbean in 2019, and Pixar in Concert in 2020. This time, he will be leading 81 musicians in perfect time as Star Wars: A New Hope plays on a 26’ x 16’ screen (the equivalent of 36 60” TVs!) at the Gallo Center for the Arts. An impressive feat that is a result of only 5 total hours of rehearsal time together!
Read on as we interview Ryan for an exclusive look behind the stage to see what goes into preparing for a unique concert like this.
MSO: How long does it take for you to prepare for a movie concert and is there any difference compared to preparing for a standard classics or other pops concerts?
Ryan Murray, conductor: It takes anywhere between four to six months to prepare for a movie concert and there are some major differences in how you prepare for these concerts compared to a standard classics or pops concert. The major difference in getting ready for one of these concerts is memorizing and internalizing the tempos of the original movie. Unlike in a traditional concert where the interpretation can vary from orchestra to orchestra and conductor to conductor, in the movie concerts you must play exactly in time with the film! And while I have a special screen in front of me with something called punches and streamers on it to help me line up with the film, the orchestra does not have that information, so it’s my job to really know the score inside and out so that we can make sure everything lines up just right!
Conductor Ryan Murray at the podium, with screen that provides film information in real-time.
MSO: Could you explain the how you use the screen in front of you to help line the orchestra up with what is on the big screen?
RM: Sure, while I’m conducting I have a click track and a special screen in front of me that I use to line everything up with the film. The orchestra does not have that information, so it is really the conductor’s job to make sure that all the tempos line up exactly with the film. Once the movie starts there is no margin for error, and we all must work very hard to make everything match! It is actually a very fun challenge and keeps you on your toes as a conductor!
MSO: Movie concerts are popular among audiences not only because hearing the music live is thrilling, but because the movies tend to be nostalgic for most of us. Does the nostalgia or being a fan of the movie, have an impact on you when you’re prepping or when rehearsing?
RM: There is a big nostalgia element when it comes to preparing a movie concert—especially Star Wars. I can’t think of any music that is more iconic than those opening few minutes of the score. I think we are all really excited about this music and for so many musicians we grew up loving this score—so to put it all together with the live movie and our fantastic audience it’s very exciting!
Conductor Ryan Murray leading the MSO in Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl, March 2019
MSO: What do you think makes this John Williams’ score is so iconic?
RM: To me John Williams’ music is so dramatic and the way he writes for the orchestra is absolutely brilliant. The score is full of wonderful melodies and much like an opera, each main character has their own theme. These themes are then developed and transformed throughout the film to help us understand the emotions and the drama of the scene and this element of the movie becomes even more powerful with a live orchestra on stage!
MSO: Are you a Star Wars fan and if so, what is your favorite Star Wars movie?
RM: Yes, definitely a Star Wars fan! I would say my favorite Star Wars movie is either A New Hope—which we are performing, or the Return of the Jedi. Although I didn’t know it at the time, because I didn’t start studying music until high school, I’m sure the symphonic score was one of the major things that made me such a fan of these movies!
Come join Ryan Murray & the MSO on a trip to a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert this June 3 & 4 at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Upcoming this May 6 & 7, Grammy-winner tabla master, Sandeep Das will be performing Dinuk Wijeratne’s Concerto for Tabla alongside your Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Fresh from a tour of London, Sandeep took the time to sit down with us to tell us more about this exciting concerto and his instrument, the tabla.
MSO: This is the first time most of our audiences will see this piece performed live, however you have performed this many times before. What is your history with this piece, when was the last time you performed it?
Sandeep Das: I am actually coming in to Modesto right after a tour of this very concerto with the National Youth Orchestra of the United Nations in London, U.K. I feel Dinuk Wijeratne’s Tabla Concerto is one of the finest Western compositions written for my instrument, and I am looking forward to sharing it with everyone in the audience!
MSO: The tabla is an instrument not often highlighted in Western Classical music. Can you tell us more about this instrument, how you got into it, and how it had led you to where you are today?
SD: The Tabla are one of the most popular drums in the North Indian Classical tradition, a complex and highly refined music system that has been passed down orally for more than 4,000 years. There is a fun story about how I got into this instrument:
One day, when I was about 8 years old, I was sent home from school with a note from my teacher. I had been disturbing the class by tapping on my desk, and when asked to stop, I started tapping my feet! They suggested that I be taken to a doctor.
Luckily, I had a smart father, and instead of taking me to a doctor, he gifted me my first pair of Tabla, and my lessons began that very night.
My Guru, Pt. Kishan Maharaj, was a legend of North Indian Classical Music in the same way Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are revered as legends of Western Classical Music. I learned Tabla in the traditional Indian Guru-Shishya Parampara, a system where the Shishya, or student, lives with their Guru (teacher) as a member of the household while they are learning.
For 12 years, I lived with my Guru in Banaras, an ancient Indian city known as a historical and contemporary center for intellectual, spiritual, and artistic learning. Music was taught to me not just as an art form, but as a way of life. Guruji would teach when and however he pleased. I was even taught while sitting in the garden, riding horses, and performing on stage with him at a concert!
MSO: Music education is something that is very important to you, which is evident through your programs like Harmony and Universality through Music (HUM) and Das Tabla School (DTS). Can you elaborate more about these programs you founded and how they help enrich the lives of your students?
SD: I strongly believe that the youth are our future, and we should do everything we can to open the windows of their hearts and minds to what is beyond the places, people, cultures, and ways of life that they know. Harmony and Universality through Music is an Indian nonprofit organization that I founded in 2009, which strives to promote global understanding through performance and education by the HUM Ensemble and provides learning opportunities and scholarships for visually-impaired children with potential in any genre of art to empower them to lead self-reliant lives. Since its inception, HUM has grown in size and now supports nine children through a National Scholarship.
MSO: Will you have any leisure time while in Northern California? Do you have any fun plans while being here? (Sights to see, places to you have to eat at, etc.)
SD: I am a golf addict and will definitely spend some time golfing!!!
MSO: Any upcoming performances/projects are you looking forward to?
SD: I recently launched a project called Transcending Borders One Note at a Time, which aims to harness the transformative power of music to spread a message of love and compassion, and to inspire positive social change through a variety of media including performances, residencies, community engagement activities, and talks/presentations. As part of that initiative, the HUM Ensemble recently released its debut album, “Delhi to Damascus”, which features a collaboration between Indian Classical and Syrian music. This project is currently touring live performances alongside “Delhi to Shiraz”, a musical celebration of the shared heritage between India and Persia.
Come watch Sandeep perform Wijeratne’s Concerto for Tabla this May 6th & 7th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Paul Haas, conductor
Sandeep Das, tabla
Tchaikovsky's fight with fate comes to life with his Symphony No. 4. Conductor Paul Haas dives deeper into Tchaikovsky’s ill-fated marriage and how he overcame his struggles with the help of his best friend, Nadezhda Von Meck.
Hear Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 performed live by the MSO this May 6 & 7, 2022!
Paul Haas, conductor
Sandeep Das, tabla
"History has a way of making sure that excellent music rises to the top." Hear from Conductor Paul Haas why Dinuk Wijeratne's Concerto For Tabla will surely rise to the top of orchestral music in our latest MSO Sound Bite!
Hear Wijeratne's Concerto for Tabla featuring Sandeep Das live this May 6 & 7, 2022!
Paul Haas, conductor
Sandeep Das, tabla
Conductor Paul Haas talks about the tragic tale that inspired Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, and how Beethoven masterfully translates musical themes into storytelling.
Hear Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture live in Modesto on May 6 & 7, 2022.
Paul Haas, conductor
Sandeep Das, tabla
All students interested in attending with the MSO’s Wijeratne & Tchaikovsky concerts or the MSYO Season Finale Concert can attend for free. Free student tickets are available in-person from the Gallo Center Ticket Office with a valid student ID.
The MSO’s free student ticket program was generously sponsored by Dr. Phillip & Margaret Beck and Robert & Martha Falzone.
Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra, side-by-side
Fri. April 11, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sat. April 12, 2025 at 7:30pm
The Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office is located at:
1000 I Street
Modesto, CA 95354 Maps & Directions
10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday–Friday
12:00 noon – 6:00 pm, Saturday
Explore the sights & sounds of space through Argentinian composer, Osvaldo Golijov's work, "Sidereus" with conductor Dirk Meyer!
Composed in 2010, "Sidereus" was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras in honor of former president Henry Fogel's years of service to the orchestral world. Golijov wanted Sidereus, meaning "belonging to the stars," to evoke the emotion he felt while staring up at the night sky over his home in Patagonia, Argentina.
Hear Golijov's "Sidereus" live in Modesto on April 1 & 2, 2022
Andrew Grams, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Conductor Dirk Meyer explains why Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 is a virtuosic masterpiece and promises you won't be able to contain yourself with this exciting, energetic piece that fills the listener with sheer joy.
Hear Prokofiev's "Piano Concerto No. 3" live in Modesto on April 1 & 2, 2022:
Andrew Grams, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Fellow composer, Robert Schumann, thought Brahms to be the next Beethoven. Did Brahms live up to that expectation?
Hear Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C Minor live in Modesto on April 1 & 2, 2022!
Andrew Grams, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Having just had her San Francisco Symphony debut on February 17th, conductor Akiko Fujimoto will lead the MSO in March as they perform works by Walker, Korngold, and Dvorak. The MSO is very excited to invite Akiko Fujimoto to meet our audiences in here Modesto!
MSO: Can you tell us a bit about George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, and why you chose to program it into this concert?
Akiko Fujimoto: I thought the lush lyricism of this work would be a good match for the Dvorak, yet they were different enough from each other in the styles, time periods they were composed in and the instrumentation (the Walker is strings only) that they provided contrast. I also felt what they “hugged” the Korngold in the middle very well.
MSO: This is the first time the MSO will be performing a piece by George Walker and we’re excited to introduce his music to the community. Is diversity important to you when programming a concert?
George T. Walker, composer
AF: Of course! Every program needs contrast and diversity unless it is comprised of one long work. Each composition is unique in its language, background and characteristics, and the challenge is in grouping them together in a way that they create the best experience for the audience. I am thrilled to be able to introduce to the MSO audience this important American composer, performer and educator who straddled the 20th and 21st centuries. I think our worlds expand when we add a new composer to our repertoire of listening and performing. It is like meeting a new person – you are stimulated by what they bring to your life that is new and at the same time comforted by what you have in common as people. Some people compare this piece to Samuel Barger’s Adagio for Strings. If you love the Barber, perhaps you will have that experience when you “meet” the Walker.
“I think our worlds expand when we add a new composer to our repertoire of listening and performing. It is like meeting a new person – you are stimulated by what they bring to your life that is new and at the same time comforted by what you have in common as people.”
MSO: Korngold, best known for being one of the most influential founders of Hollywood film music, brings a sense of imagery and imagination to all of his work, especially his Violin Concerto. When you listen to this concerto, what sort of imagery plays in your mind?
AF: I see this piece as a great piece of absolute music (as opposed to “program music” which is meant to tell a story) because it is very classical in its structure, just masterfully crafted and extremely virtuosic. If Korngold’s music sounds visual and imaginative to us, that is absolutely because he was one of the forefathers of the Hollywood sound, so he was responsible for much of what we associate today with film music. In this concerto he did use themes from his own soundtracks to movies such as the Prince and the Pauper (1937), Juarez (1939) and Anthony Adverse (1936). They are incredibly evocative of all the actions we love in movies, especially romance and swash-buckling adventures.
MSO: You’ve recently worked with our guest artist, Charles Yang back in October 2021, what was that experience like and how excited are you to be working with him again for this concert?
AF: Charles Yang is simply a magician and the perfect person to play this concerto because he, like Korngold, can straddle different worlds and create something extraordinary out of them. I am extremely excited to work with Charles again.
MSO: Can you tell us a bit about Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, and how it ties together with the Walker & Korngold?
AF: As I said earlier, I felt that the lush lyricism is a common denominator to these 3 pieces, yet they are all different. Dvorak’s 8th Symphony is a work that is very close to my heart. If his 9th Symphony “New World” is his American symphony, the 8th is his Bohemian symphony. He was from Bohemia, and this symphony is his ode to Bohemia, with references to sounds of its nature and dances, as he was a firm believer that a cornerstone of any culture’s music was that of its native folk music. This symphony also has all the hallmarks of great Czech repertoire: rhythmic energy, a little bit of exoticism, and a touch of melancholy and longing. It is probably one of the most exciting and lovable symphonies of all times, and I am excited to perform it with the MSO.
“This symphony also has all the hallmarks of great Czech repertoire: rhythmic energy, a little bit of exoticism, and a touch of melancholy and longing.”
MSO: Congratulations on your debut with SF Symphony (conducting Price’s Symphony No. 3, Feb. 17-19), and you’ve conducted in Virginia, Minnesota, and now being the music director of Mid-Texas Symphony! What has your experience been like working with orchestras all over the country? Are there any cultural or regional differences that are amusing or interesting to you?
AF: Each orchestra absolutely is unique and reflects that region and the people in it. While all orchestras share in our love for the traditional symphonic repertoire, the way we present them is different depending on where we play, and who is playing in the orchestra, and who is listening in the audience. As a conductor, it is a fun challenge to try to be the best matchmaker possible between the vast symphonic repertoire and each organization. Of course, I do not know Modesto or the MSO…yet. So, for this concert, I did my best by doing a search on what else was being played this season, which tells you quite a bit about an organization, and gave it my best stab, so to speak, keeping the Korngold in mind.
Akiko Fujimoto conducts the San Francisco Symphony in Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3. Photo: Stefan Cohen, SF Chronicle, Feb. 2022
MSO: You studied at Stanford University for your Bachelors, and now just performing with SF Symphony, what is it like being back in California? Do you have any fond memories of being in California?
AF: I just came back from the week in San Francisco and am so excited that I get to go back to Northern California so soon again. When I was a college student, I didn’t venture out of campus too much. As an adult, I am so much more curious and have a lot more appreciation for the characteristics of each different state and region, so I feel I am rediscovering it all over again. I have missed the openness of the Californians and feel very comfortable being back in the state.
MSO: Do you have any fun plans outside of work while being in Northern California? (Sights to see, places to you have to eat at, etc.)
AF: I did a lot of walking around the city last week and took in as much landscape, architecture, and cuisines I could, but I know there is so much more, and of course each corner of the region is very different. I look forward to visiting Modesto in a few weeks and getting to know it.
MSO: What upcoming performances/projects are you looking forward to in the near future?
AF: One of the projects I am looking forward to is conducting the world premiere of a new work by composer Tania Leon in my debut concerts with the Arkansas Symphony. As a bonus, I am very excited to conduct in my new home state – I now live about 40 minutes away from Little Rock, which will be the shortest commute by far this season!
MSO: Why do you believe the Symphony or live performances are still relevant and important to attend?
AF: Because the symphonic music offers the widest, broadest, and deepest range of expression for the human experience, and we need to share in that today, perhaps more than ever.
Come watch Akiko conduct your MSO this March 4th & 5th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
Charles Yang, violin
Fri., March 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Sat., March 5, 2022 at 7:30 pm
You may hear similarities between Korngold’s Main Theme from the movie Kings Row (1942) to the very recognizable main theme from the Star Wars franchise, composed by John Williams in 1977. In fact, Williams has cited Korngold as his main inspiration when composing for Star Wars. While Korngold did not start his career with Hollywood in mind, his legacy has left a lasting impact on film and classical music history.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born in 1897 to a Jewish family in Austria-Hungary, his father was a prominent music critic of the time. A child prodigy, he began writing his own music by age seven, and by the age of 11 wrote his first ballet Der Schneemann (The Snowman). He had a very active composing career from then into his 20s, writing music for operas, ballets, orchestral scores, and more.
In 1934, producer and director Max Reinhardt invited Korngold to Hollywood to adapt Felix Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) incidental music for film. Korngold would then continue to establish himself in Hollywood, even winning his first Academy Award for his work on Anthony Adverse (1936).
Before he began composing for The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938, Austria was invaded by Germany, and his home was confiscated by the Nazis. Korngold had the fortuitous opportunity to stay in America to help support his family until the end of World War II. He noted that the opportunity to compose for The Adventures of Robin Hood and stay in America likely saved his life. Korngold would go on to win his second Academy Award for that movie score and would ultimately establish the symphonic style that would be later used in action films during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Errol Flynn as Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
For The Adventures of Robin Hood, a movie that launched actor Errol Flynn’s career, Korngold used a technique from his opera background, of incorporating leitmotifs, or short recurring musical phrases, for specific characters as they show up on screen. Korngold wanted the music to be sophisticated but still accessible to the public and he achieved so by incorporating leitmotifs. He realized that if there were recurring themes throughout the film, this would help the audience better understand what’s going on in the film by creating synergy between the narrative and the score. He would slightly alter the motifs in “thematic transformation” to fit whatever is going on screen. A similar technique can be found in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, for example, where in the final movement, Beethoven restates and reinterprets the previous themes introduced in the first three movements.
Korngold had vowed to give up composing anything other than film music until Hitler had been defeated. At the end of World War II, he retired from films to concentrate on music for the concert hall. Facing previous criticisms that assumed he was only successful as a film composer, who sold himself to Hollywood, he was determined to prove himself by producing a work that displayed his virtuosity. His Violin Concerto was the first work that he penned after the end of World War II in 1945. He was deeply affected by the criticism of being a “Hollywood sell-out,” and sought to validate his life’s work. Korngold borrows his own themes from his movie scores. The first movement features themes from Another Dawn (1937) and Juarez (1939), the second quotes Anthony Adverse (1936), and the final movement has themes based on the main motif from The Prince and the Pauper.
His Violin Concerto in D Major was dedicated to Alma Mahler, the widow of his childhood mentor, Gustav Mahler. It premiered on February 15, 1947 by Jascha Heifetz and the St. Louis Symphony, under the baton of Vladimir Golschmann. Heifetz’s performance secured Korngold’s place in standard repertoire and continues to be a popular piece performed to this day.
Be transported back to the Golden Age of Hollywood on March 4 & 5 with the MSO in Korngold & Dvorak, featuring Korngold’s Violin Concerto performed by Charles Yang!
Come watch Charles Yang perform Korngold’s Concerto in D Major for Violin, conducted by Akiko Fujimoto this March 4th & 5th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
Charles Yang, violin
Fri., March 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Sat., March 5, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Learn more about Korngold (Reference):“Erich Wolfgang Korngold.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Wolfgang_Korngold“Violin Concerto (Korngold).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Korngold) Horton, Cole. “From World War to Star Wars: the Music.” StarWars.com, 16 Sept. 2015, https://www.starwars.com/news/from-world-war-to-star-wars-the-musicRoss, Alex. “Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The Opera Composer who went Hollywood.” New Yorker Magazine, 12 Aug. 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/19/erich-wolfgang-korngold-the-opera-composer-who-went-hollywood Steinberg, Michael. The Concerto: A Listener’s Guide. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. https://archive.org/details/concertolistener00stei Upcoming this March 4th & 5th, Charles Yang will be performing Korngold’s Concerto in D Major for Violin alongside your Modesto Symphony Orchestra. We caught up with Charles, who last visited Modesto in 2017 with his string trio, Time for Three, to see what he’s been up to since then and to learn more about Korngold’s Violin Concerto.
MSO: We heard in a previous interview that this was one of your favorite pieces to perform, why is Korngold’s Violin Concerto one of your favorite pieces to listen to and perform?
Charles Yang: I remember hearing this concerto for the first time when I was about 14 years old. I had already learned many of the major violin concertos at that point (Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn etc.) but was not familiar with the Korngold. It completely took my breath away. I was hypnotized by the fresh harmonies and its memorable themes. Without knowing Korngold was the “godfather” of Hollywood film music at the time, I remember feeling like I was within a movie when hearing it. I later realized his impact on film music, and it just made so much sense. For some reason unknown to me still, it took me 10 years from the time I first heard this concerto to when I first started to learn it and man…I didn’t eat or sleep for a few days because I was OBSESSED! I’m still obsessed every time I pick it up and I’m so glad I get to do this with your orchestra.
MSO: Korngold, best known for being one of the most influential founders of Hollywood film music, brings a sense of imagery and imagination to all his work, especially his Violin Concerto. When you listen to this concerto, what sort of imagery plays in your mind?
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer
CY: There is the sense of awe within this concerto. Everything about it is grand and vast. I envision space whenever I hear this piece, with its expansive harmonies and orchestration. Many of the themes are actually taken from his film scores with the first movement drawing from “Another Dawn” and “Juarez”, the second movement quoting “Anthony Adverse”, and the third movement based on “The Prince and the Pauper”. His music has so much color and texture that every listener can paint their own picture.
“There is the sense of awe within this concerto. Everything about it is grand and vast. I envision space whenever I hear this piece, with its expansive harmonies and orchestration.”
MSO: You’ve recently worked with our conductor, Akiko Fujimoto back in October 2021, what was that experience like and how excited are you to be working with her again for this concert?
CY: I am so happy to be reunited with Akiko on this concerto. It was an absolute joy working with her the last time we did it and I know it will be magical again. When we first were working on this concerto, I remember us talking about the imagery of the music and we both shared the same feeling of space and the greater beyond. It’s always great to be on the same wavelength when collaborating on a piece and I’m excited to paint this picture yet again with her!
MSO: What our audience may not know is that you’ve grown up in the world of Classical Music, with your mother being a violinist for the Austin Symphony. What is it like growing up surrounded by classical music and musicians?
CY: I used to always think it was tough growing up with my mother as my violin teacher. She gave me a violin at the age of 3 and I was actively going to her concerts not long after that. In fact, I was born the day after one of her shows and she remembers me kicking during the Bruch Violin Concerto when I was still in her belly. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have music in my life, and I definitely took that for granted as a child. Looking back now, I am so grateful for all the hours she put in teaching me how to play and all the concerts I got to attend. At the time it just felt like the norm, but now I see how lucky I am to have gotten so much attention towards my musical upbringing.
MSO: What is it like crossing over the different genres of music that you’ve performed in? Is it challenging switching back and forth?
CY: Learning a new genre in music is like learning a new dialect or language. For me, I have always been curious about learning new “dialects” and how I could tie that into my own voice. Having been exposed to so many great blues, country and rock artists in Austin, Texas (where I grew up), I became fluent in a lot of those genres because I was constantly thrown into situations where I had to collaborate with them. But just like any language, it took trial after trial before I actually was fluent. Because I’ve been lucky enough to play with so many great artists from different genres, I’ve collected so many “tools” to put in my musical “toolbox”. Just like within classical music, learning how to play Bach is stylistically very different from learning how to play Bartok, so with this in mind, I don’t find playing the blues to be that far off from playing the vast canon of “classical music”. Sure, the brain works in a different way when improvising, but just like in anything, it can be trained to feel natural.
Time for Three with the MSO, April 2017
MSO: You’ve performed before here with the Modesto Symphony but with your group, Time for Three back in 2017. What’s the biggest difference when preparing for a solo performance versus your string trio?
CY: When preparing for a solo concerto, I strive to do as the composer intended while lending my own unique interpretation to it. With Time for Three, we often times play music written by us or written for us in collaboration, so our voices were already implemented within the composition. The biggest difference I find is that when working with Time for Three, the “soloist” is actually the combination of Nick, Ranaan and myself. We work as one unit and sound so there is a lot of interplay among us while also trying to blend with the orchestra. When I am a soloist with a concerto, it’s just me and the orchestra so its solely up to me to interpret and blend with the orchestra.
MSO: Do you have any fun plans outside of work while being in Northern California? (Sights to see, places to you have to eat at, etc.)
CY: I might visit my grandma who lives in San Francisco so I’m pretty excited about that but other than that, please let me know where I should go!!!
MSO: What upcoming performances/projects are you looking forward to?
CY: There are some really exciting projects that I am super stoked about! Time for Three just recorded two concertos written for us by Kevin Puts and Jennifer Higdon with the Philadelphia Orchestra which should come out soon! I’m also about to record a concerto written for me by Kris Bowers with the American Youth Symphony which we got to premiere at Disney Hall two years ago right before the pandemic so that one is special to me! Maybe I’ll get to bring these pieces to Modesto one day!
MSO: Why do you believe the Symphony or live performances are still relevant and important to attend?
CY: There is nothing like live music. After almost 2 years of concerts being cancelled because of the pandemic, I can tell how much people thirsted to hear a live orchestra in a concert hall. To be at an acoustic venue with live musicians playing in front of you where you can feel the sonic vibrations hit your soul is unexplainable and transcends any other listening experience. While the medium of how we listen to music has changed so much over the years from LPs to cassettes to CDs and now streaming, the concert hall or live music venue has stayed relevant and steady for a good reason. With so much music written over so many years, going to the symphony is the closest thing to time travel in my opinion.
“To be at an acoustic venue with live musicians playing in front of you where you can feel the sonic vibrations hit your soul is unexplainable and transcends any other listening experience.”
Come watch Charles perform Korngold’s Concerto in D Major for Violin this March 4th & 5th at the Gallo Center for the Arts!
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
Charles Yang, violin
Fri., March 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Sat., March 5, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Check out this video of this weekend's conductor and Music Director candidate, Delta David Gier as he tries to unlock the musical mystery of Márquez & Shostakovich with featured guest artist, Francisco Vila-Haas!
Delta David Gier, conductor
Francisco Vila-Haas, cello
Fri., January 7, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Sat., January 8, 2022 at 7:30 pm
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