“There are circles in which [the] Lexington Philharmonic’s … program [next season] of ‘Star Wars’ with live orchestra accompaniment would be regarded as ‘light’ classical or ‘pops,’ ” writes Rich Copley in Wednesday’s (5/16) Lexington Herald Leader (Lexington, KY). “But Philharmonic music director Scott Terrell isn’t having that. ‘It is an important piece of music,’ Terrell says of John Williams score for the iconic 1977 blockbuster. ‘It has as beautiful a love theme as anything Tchaikovsky wrote.’ … That concert, where the movie will be shown and the Philharmonic will play the score live … will be the 2019 season finale…. Terrell and the Phil will [perform] the Verdi ‘Requiem’ March 29. There are nods to the orchestra’s increasing presentation of living and American composers like an all-American November show, and a small-scale opera in ‘Trouble in Tahiti’ by [Leonard] Bernstein. Featured soloists will include some veterans of Terrell’s tenure including Ryan Shirar, who has worked with the orchestra as an arranger and pianist, and flutist Emma Gerstein, who was principal flute with the orchestra in the 2012-13 season and is now the second flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. And, of course, the season will come to a grand end … with ‘Star Wars.’ ‘I expect it to be one of the highlights of not just next year, but my tenure,’ Terrell says. ‘It’s something I’ve really wanted to do.’ ”
Posted May 21, 2018
