Clap your hands and stomp your feet (no, really!) at The MISO’s signature event, An Evening in Vienna, happening this Sunday at the Arsht Center.
The event emulates the famous New Year’s Day concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which takes place every January 1 in Vienna. In Austria, the demand for tickets to this lively event is so high that concertgoers have to pre-register a year in advance in order to participate in the drawing of tickets for the following year and some are even passed down through families, from generation to generation.
And in Miami, An Evening in Vienna is equally popular. For the last twenty years, both tourists and locals have flocked to the concert to enjoy MISO performing pieces from some of Austria’s best composers, whose genius helped establish Vienna as a city of elegance and sophistication. Eduardo Marturet, MISO’s Music Director, will lead the audience to join in clapping and stomping their feet in time to the music, and maybe even start a dance or two.
Originating during a dark time in Austria’s history, the concert idea was conceived with the intention of bringing local audiences a reminder of better times and a source of hope for the future.
In the context of our current times, MISO’s 21st anniversary of An Evening in Vienna is especially relevant, as we all have reasons to hope for a better, brighter 2010. When you join us for An Evening in Vienna, we hope that you are similarly encouraged by the joyful, yet subtly profound character of this music, and draw hope and optimism for the New Year ahead!
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Event Details
An Evening in Vienna
Sunday, Jan. 17 @ 8:00pm
Knight Concert Hall – Adrienne Arsht Center
For tickets and more information, please visit www.themiso.org
As we prepare to ring in a new year – not to mention a new decade – we here at MISO are especially mindful of the ambitious goals we set for the 2009-2010 concert season and our commitment to making this next year of music even better than the last!
We’re perfectly aware that some (ok, most) New Year’s resolutions have a funny way of falling by the wayside. However, ours have been in the works for quite some time. In fact, they guided and shaped the planning for our 2009-2010 concert season, and we are ever-mindful of them as we look ahead to a new year of music making.
So without further ado, here they are – MISO’s New Year’s Resolutions for 2010!
Resolution: New Talent
MISO is home to 80 talented musicians from around the world – and we are always on the lookout for up-and-coming talent. We believe very strongly in cultivating the next generation of talented performers, which is why we launched our Assistant Conductor Apprentice Program, a two-year apprenticeship in conjunction with the UM Frost School of Music. It’s also why we developed the Young Artist Program, which offers talented young musicians the opportunity to perform and with a professional orchestra.
Looking ahead to the coming year, we also have some exciting guest artists and feature soloists lined up, including Swiss-born American pianist Gilles Vonsattel, Chinese Pianist Tian Lu, and Cuban-American mezzo-soprano Mabel Ledo.
Resolution: New Repertoire
MISO has devoted itself to a season rich in repertoire that spans the full classical cannon. We’re also mixing it up a bit by infusing the concert season with newer works from contemporary artists. Already this year, we’ve journeyed into the heart of Brazil with Amazon Inspirations, played a little night music at the annual Sleepless Night event in Miami, and showcased iconic Hollywood film scores at our Golden Sounds from Hollywood concert.
This season also contains some world premieres – audiences heard Cremisini’s La Luz y su desvio for the first time at Festival Miami, and in March, you’ll hear the world premiere of Canto Llano 2, composed by Maestro Eduardo Marturet, MISO’s very own Music Director and Conductor. Our innovative and exciting concert season continues in the new year with An Evening in Vienna, our most anticipated event of the season, which celebrates the musical masters of Vienna including Franz von Suppe, Johannes Brahms, Jules Massenet and Ambrose Thomas and Johann Strauss!
Resolution: New Direction
MISO is committed to realizing its goal of becoming a symphony orchestra of international stature. The artists and organizations that comprise our network of Strategic Alliances are closely involved with The MISO in establishing strong artistic relationships and institutional bonds. Together, we will continue to work to expand the mission and the music of The Miami Symphony Orchestra to all parts of the globe.
Of course, we would never be able to make good on our New Year’s resolutions without the support of patrons of the arts like you. So, on behalf of MISO, thanks for encouraging our resolve to become a world-class orchestra, and thanks for helping us bring the gift of music to a community that needs and deserves it.
A lift of the bow, an arch of the head, a moment of hushed anticipation –and suddenly the electric air fills with the breathtaking sound of a haunting violin melody.
If you joined us last weekend for the Golden Sounds from Hollywood concert, you will recognize this moment – it was the stirring solo from Schindler’s List, flawlessly executed by MISO’s very own Concertmaster, Daniel Andai.
Click on the Play button to listen to Daniel Andai’s stunning violin solo from “Schindler’s List”. If you cannot see the Play button, please update your browser’s Flash Player.
Why We Love Daniel Andai
His Experience
Andai performing the violin solo from "Schindler's List"
Of the esteemed concert halls around the world, it’s difficult to find one in which Daniel Andai hasn’t played. Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Vienna Konzerthause and the Musikverein are just a few of the big names on the list. Oh yes, and don’t forget the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, where he occasionally performs with the New York Philharmonic.
Andai is also a member of the UBS Verbier Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra in Europe and tours with both orchestras on a continual basis, with music reaching audiences on five continents.
His Versatility
As a musician, Andai wears many hats – soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and recording artist – and he wears them all with aplomb.
In short, we’re glad he’s a part of the MISO team. Andai’s selection as MISO Concertmaster was the culmination of a worldwide search that spanned two performance seasons. His selection underscores the orchestra’s focus on building a world-class orchestra for Miami by assembling top international talent from around the globe.
His Ambition
Andai is no stranger to hard work. In addition to holding a Master of Music and a Professional Arts Degrees from Manhattan School of Music’s prestigious Orchestral Program, he also holds a Bachelor of Music Degree Cum Laude from the Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Florida where he was a student of international soloist, Sergiu Schwartz.
His accolades include the Helen F. Whitaker Fund String Initiative Scholarship and the 2007 Raphael Bronstein Award.
This fall, he will begin pursuing his Doctorate of Music Degree with Naples Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Basham at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Andai’s future is certainly bright – we’re excited to see what it holds for him and MISO.
If you haven’t had a chance to hear this extraordinary musician in concert, don’t despair. Join us in the new year as we continue our concert season with An Evening in Vienna on January 17, 2009 at the Adrienne Arscht Center. Tickets are still available at www.themiso.org.
Even if you don’t recognize his name, you probably know his music.
His name is John Williams and he is the man responsible for composing some of the most memorable movie scores of all time – cinematic classics like Star Wars, Schindler’s List, E.T., and Superman.
This Saturday and Sunday evening, MISO pays tribute to the work of John Williams and other celebrated film score composers with “Golden Sounds from Hollywood” at the Gusman Concert Hall and the Lincoln Theatre.
In preparation for this event, we wanted to give MISO fans a behind the scenes perspective on some of William’s most memorable film scores.
The Force Behind Star Wars
When John Williams was approached by George Lucas to compose the music for the first Star Wars film, he had no idea the film would soar to the heights of cinematic significance it enjoys today. Looking back on the experience, Williams recalls that:
“…We all looked at the film, George Lucas, our mutual friend Steven Spielberg and others, and we all thought, ‘Wow, this is a fantastic movie. It’ll be great for children on Saturday afternoons,’ never realizing that this newly minted mythology that George Lucas had created would find such a deep and continuing and long-lasting audience around the world.”[1]
The choice to pursue a symphonic orchestral sound for this space-age film was deeply rooted in the epic storyline of Star Wars. As Williams notes in a May 2005 interview with National Public Radio:
“The translation of heroic impulses and feelings and reactions, and thinking in terms of melodrama and opera bring us in the direction of a symphony orchestra rather than with a group synthesizers or computers that might produce the spacey, otherworldly sounds you might expect.”[2]
The success of the Star Wars soundtrack was unparalleled: 4 million copies of the soundtrack were sold in the first year alone, helping the symphonic film score make its deserved comeback in contemporary film. It also won Williams an Academy Award for Best Musical Score in 1978.
The Superhero Sounds of Superman
Comic book fans around the world delighted when they saw their favorite graphic novel hero come to life in Superman.
From the opening title music to the lyrical love theme (”Can You Read My Mind,” a best song nominee), with a stirring motif for the planet Krypton and a comic march for the villains, this score captured all of the comic-book thrills of Richard Donner’s 1978 film with the late Christopher Reeve.
The Emotion of Schindler’s List
Of all of John Williams’ movie scores, Steven Spielberg says Schindler’s List remains his favorite. It’s not difficult to see why. The emotive, haunting melody and moving violin solos capture both the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of humanity, helping the film’s message remain in the hearts of moviegoers long after the credits rolled.
Close Encounters with E.T.
Williams won his fourth Oscar for Spielberg’s 1982 hit about the cuddly alien and the boy who helps him go home. MISO fans may remember the classic scene at the end of the film when the bicycles fly over the moon; this remains one of John Williams’ favorite moments in the films he has written for. Here’s why:
“Everyone remembers the kids taking off on the bikes to take E.T. back to the spaceship while the police are pursuing them. That’s a tremendous chase. It’s the magic of cinema…an unreal world, but if you’re prepared for it emotionally, story-wise, musically, when those bikes take off, the kids soar above the moon, and the orchestra soars…We’ve hit a moment that everyone working in this medium lives for. They don’t come every day.”[3]
Williams’ soaring orchestra helped lift E.T.’s bicycle over the woods and endeared the little guy to millions of hearts. The final moments of the film are as grand and emotional as any in modern film, thanks to Williams’ brilliant score.
Golden Sounds from Hollywood
Join MISO this weekend for Golden Sounds from Hollywood to hear these cinematic classics, as well as works from other celebrated composers including Strauss, Wagner, Garcia, Morricone and more!
Date: Saturday, December 5
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Gusman Concert Hall at University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables
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Date: Sunday, December 6
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Lincoln Theatre, 541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL
For the Dec. 6 concert, please remember to bring a toy or a pair of pajamas for a local child in need to benefit Broward Cares for Kids, an organization dedicated to protecting abused, neglected and abandoned children in Broward County.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to express gratitude for the blessings in our lives. On behalf of everyone at MISO, we want to thank you for your continued support of the Miami Symphony Orchestra and its musical endeavors. Without our wonderful patrons, MISO wouldn’t be the world-class orchestra it is today.
We’re very excited about our upcoming “Golden Sounds from Hollywood” concert next Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6. To get you in the mood for the event, here’s a “sneak peak” of what the evening has in store for all of you film lovers out there. Enjoy!
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), the revolutionary Brazilian composer who has been described as “the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music.” [1]
This Friday evening, MISO partners with the Brazilian Classical Series (BCS) to celebrate his life and his music with Amazon Inspirations: A Tribute to Villa-Lobos. As MISO prepares for this exciting event, we want to take a moment to reflect upon the life and music of this larger-than-life figure in Latin American culture and share why Villa-Lobos inspires us.
Cultural Icon
Fifty years after his death, Villa-Lobos still enjoys celebrity status in Brazil. As one biographer writes,
“His legacy in the Brazil of today, even amongst new generations brought up with the samba-schools or MTV, is a strong feeling of pride and love, intertwined with similar feelings for their country. This is surprising, considering that this is a “classical” composer dead now for more than 35 year…a North American parallel would be hard to find.” [2]
Unusual, perhaps – but not entirely surprising, considering the legacy he left behind and the profound impact his music had on establishing a strong national identity for Brazil.
Adventurer and Storyteller
Accounts of Villa-Lobos’ early years contain colorful stories of his ventures “into the deep” of Brazilian culture. Villa-Lobos was fascinated by the folk music of indigenous tribes and conducted “ethno-musical” excursions so that he might learn more about the various musical styles and incorporate them into his own work.
Some of the stories that sprung from these trips – including his own account of his travels with the cannibal tribes of the North-East – seem to blur the lines between fact and fiction. But, as one researcher notes,
“He was a courageous man, enterprising, energetic and audacious, an indefatigable, venturesome person all through his life. It is not impossible that he undertook at least part of these trips about which he boasted.” [3]
Patriot for Mother Brazil
What is perhaps most striking about accounts of Villa-Lobos’ life and work is the profound sense one gets that Villa-Lobos deeply loved his country and its people. Listening to his music corroborates this feeling, as that passion and fervor reflects wholeheartedly in his compositions. Villa-Lobos – and his impressive volume of work – was innovative, adventurous, and proudly patriotic. For these reasons and more, Villa-Lobos continues to be an inspiration – to the people of Brazil, to MISO and to the world.
We are inspired by this visionary and the musical legacy he left behind – we hope you will be too.
If you’d like more info about this weekend’s tribute to Villa-Lobos, please visit www.brazilianclassicalseries.com. To purchase tickets, please visit www.arshtcenter.org and use promo code MISO to save $10 off each ticket.
