The East Metro Symphony Orchestra (EMSO) will present The Soul of Russia: An Exploration of Russian Music, Classical to Folk on Sunday, May 15, 2:00 p.m., at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in North St. Paul, 2499 N. Helen Street. Tickets will be available at the door and in advance through the orchestra’s website (www.emsorch.org): $10 for adults, $6 for senior citizens. Children under 18 are free.
EMSO will partner with the St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra and with noted pianist Denis Evstuhin for this event. The concert will feature masterful classical music by historical Russian composers Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Mily Balakirev, as well as the folk music and traditions that directly inspired them. To guide audience members through this wonderful exploration of Russian music, Valerie Kahler, acclaimed Classical Minnesota Public Radio host, will once again join EMSO as narrator for this program.
St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra, a group from St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis, plays authentic balalaikas and domras to create a traditional sound from lands such as Russia, Ukraine and Czechoslovakia. They will be performing many of the Russian folk tunes that were influential to the classical Russian composers highlighted in the program.
Pianist Denis Evstuhin graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has performed at the great Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff Halls in Moscow, the Mariinsky Theater and Philharmonic Halls in St. Petersburg, and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Having received great acclaim for his performance of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto with EMSO in 2011, he will join the orchestra this time in performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s rarely heard Piano Concerto, as well as for Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, creating a unique combination of the work’s original solo piano roots and colorful orchestrations. Photos of the original works of art by Viktor Hartmann that inspired Mussorgsky will be projected to accompany the piece, evoking Mussorgsky’s exposition theme. Newly created artwork by students at Azusa Pacific University in California will also be projected, creating a unique visual interpretation of this epic work from both historic and contemporary perspectives. The new artwork was originally created for a collaborative presentation of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition between the University’s Symphony Orchestra and School of Visual and Performing Arts to offer a contemporary spin on this classical piece.
EMSO’s music director and conductor, Dr. Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes, commented: "Working with the St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra adds depth to our connection to the traditional Russian folk music that infuses each of the orchestral works we are preparing. In addition, Master pianist Denis Evstuhin, a Russian native and expert in classical Russian music, lends profound understanding of the sounds and intentions of our Russian composers – far more than we could have achieved on our own."
EMSO concerts are always relaxed, informal, and appropriate for all ages and musical backgrounds. We warmly invite you join us! St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a physically accessible building. ASL interpretation will be available from VSA Minnesota when requested. Please contact EMSO within ten days of the performance to request ASL interpretation. Large print programs will also be available.
The East Metro Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra based in Woodbury, led by music director and conductor, Dr. Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes and concertmaster, Michal Sobieski. The orchestra presents four to five concerts per season in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area, specializing in collaborations with local artists, organizations, and students, as well special programs for seniors. For more information go to www.emsorch.org or www.facebook.com/emsorch.
