Community Corner
"MOST ROMANTIC CONCERT OF THE SEASON" FEATURES DVORAK'S CELLO CONCERTO (WITH COMPETITION WINNER HAN BIN YOON) and MENDELSSOHN'S "REFORMATION" SYMPHONY -- PASADENA COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA
In what Music Director Bethany Pflueger
describes as “the most romantic concert of the season,” Pasadena Community
Orchestra presents Young Artist Competition winner Han Bin Yoon performing the
most beloved of all cello concertos, Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. Also on the program is Mendelssohn’s
historic Symphony #5 – the
“Reformation.” Cellist
Han Bin Yoon, the top prizewinner at numerous competitions, performed his debut
recital at the Kennedy Center in 2013. He has studied with students of one of
the greatest performers of Dvorak’s cello concerto, Mstislav Rostropovich.
The concerto is bold and beautiful, with the thrill of powerful, fiercely
energetic themes alternating with tender poignancy. Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony, composed to celebrate the anniversary of
the Reformation’s founding, features variants on two hymn tunes, a fiery allegro
that only an extended timpani roll can stop, and a light, pastoral waltz. The
finale, a chorale on the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” builds gradually
from a single instrument to the majesty of the entire orchestra. Audience
members may meet the soloist and other musicians at a reception following the
concert.