In Wednesday’s (10/13) Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee), Jon W. Sparks writes, “This weekend’s Masterworks concerts by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra will have the attention of the classical music world. The centerpiece of the all-American program is the premiere of a work by Osvaldo Golijov, one of the most highly regarded composers in the world today. … The Golijov piece, titled ‘Sidereus,’ is a chamber orchestra work commissioned by a consortium of 35 American orchestras in honor of Henry Fogel, the former League of American Orchestras president and a champion of classical music. Fogel and Golijov are in town as are visitors from other orchestras and industry luminaries for the occasion. … [Memphis Symphony President and CEO Ryan] Fleur is largely responsible for the Memphis Symphony being the first group to perform the piece. Even before he came to Memphis in 2003, he was working with the League of American Orchestras in the area of consortium commissioning, allowing smaller orchestras to pool resources and be able to play new works. When it was decided to commission a piece honoring Fogel, they asked Golijov, who agreed to do it. Orchestras who had worked with Fogel quickly stepped in to be part of the consortium.”
Photo by Sebastient Chambert/Festival de Saint-Denis
Posted October 15, 2010
