On Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Tilson Auditorium, the Indiana State University Symphony Orchestra will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in a unique concert featuring ISU student soloists with the Symphony Orchestra.
The concert will feature Felix Mendelssohn's Fifth Symphony, titled "Reformation", written for the 300th anniversary of the Reformation during Mendelssohn's lifetime. The symphony features the chorale Ein Feste Burg, written by Martin Luther and used by Mendelssohn as the finale of his symphony.
"It is a unique event to mark such a significant anniversary for a movement which changed the cultural landscape of Western society," says assistant professor Erik Rohde, who conducts the Symphony Orchestra. "We are fortunate to have such a great piece written to mark an earlier anniversary of this event to put together a concert to celebrate this 500-year milestone."
The concert also features two student soloists, who competed in an annual Concerto and Aria competition for a featured spot on the concert. This year's winners, who competed last spring, include Wenqian Hu, piano and Patrick Meyer, trombone. Hu is a pianist from China, currently studying in the master's program with Beverley Simms. Meyer is a trombone student of Randall Mitchell.
"It was a lucky circumstance that two of our concerto winners this year were already performing works that are linked to the Mendelssohn Symphony we are performing," continued Rohde. "Wenqian Hu will be performing the Capriccio Brilliant, a mini-piano concerto Mendelssohn wrote earlier in his life, and Patrick Meyer will be performing a trombone concertino written by Ferdinand David, who worked with Mendelssohn in Leipzig and served as the concertmaster of his orchestra. It creates a well-balanced, and closely-linked program the audience is certain to enjoy."
The performance will be free admission. For more information or inquiries, contact erik.rohde@indstate.edu.