José Luis Gomez to Conduct Program Also Featuring a Grammy® Nominated Bassoon Concerto by Christopher Theofanidis
(Tucson, AZ)—Hear what a gifted composer Mozart already was at age eight when the Tucson Symphony Orchestra opens its 2018-19 Masterworks Series with a performance of his Symphony No. 1, a composition he liked well enough to borrow a few notes to use in the finale of his final symphony. Schubert was a teenager when he wrote the Symphony No. 4, “Tragic,” but it was not performed until two decades after he died. Music Director José Luis Gomez will conduct performances of Mozart and Schubert on Saturday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 7 at 2:00 p.m. at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Dr. in Tucson, where there is plenty of free parking. Concert Comments, sponsored by Fishkind, Bakewell, Maltzman and Hunter, are one hour prior to performances and are complimentary with tickets. Splendido is the sponsor of the Masterworks Series.
Completing the program is a Bassoon Concerto by Christopher Theofanidis performed by soloist Martin Kusskman. Theofanidis composed the concerto for Kuuskman, whom he met when they were both studying at Yale. Kuuskmann’s recording of the work received a Grammy® nomination in 2017.
“I have known many musicians of an extremely high caliber in my life,” says Theofanidis, “but Martin really stands out from among even the most accomplished of those.”
Estonian-born bassoon virtuoso Martin Kuuskmann has earned acclaim as one of the leading solo instrumentalists today. The New York Times called Kuuskmann an “amazing bassoonist” and praised his “virtuoso technique with superhuman breath control.”
Theofanidis’ concerto is one of eight that have been composed for him and Kuuskmann has premiered all of them. Kuuskmann is a graduate of Yale and the Manhattan School of Music As an avid educator, he taught at the Manhattan School of Music Contemporary Performance Program (2007-2012) and currently teaches at Cornish College of Arts in Seattle.
The Masterworks Series is sponsored by Splendido and receives generous support from Drs. John P. and Helen S. Schaefer.
Tickets are $45 to $55. They are available online at www.tucsonsymphony.org, at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Box Office, 2175 N. Sixth Avenue or by phone at 520.882.8585. TSO Box Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Programming, artists and prices are subject to change.
Contact: Terry Marshall, Public Relations Manager, 520.620.9158
