“For its 2020-21 Masterworks series, Hartford Symphony Orchestra has announced a series of contemporary and classical selections from around the world,” writes Christopher Arnott in Monday’s (3/9) Hartford Courant (CT). “The usual big names are involved—Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Stravinsky—but not necessarily with their greatest hits. Plus there are contemporary composers and some genuine surprises, like a concerto for sitar composed by Ravi Shankar and an evening featuring two historic African American composers. Contemporary composer Kevin Puts has his compositions in two separate concerts. There’s also a literary bent to the season, with music inspired by Shakespeare, ‘1001 Arabian Nights,’ the Russian folktale The Firebird and the classic Chinese love story The Butterfly Lovers. This is Carolyn Kuan’s 10th year as music director of the symphony. She will conduct five of the seven concerts.” Highlights include a program featuring works by Bernstein and Copland along with “Laura Karpman’s ‘All American,’ which had its world premiere last year at the L.A. Philharmonic. The Oct. 3 performance of this concert of American composers will be preceded by the symphony’s fourth annual naturalization ceremony, where 10 Connecticut residents take an oath and become U.S. citizens.”
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