Our Fabulous Orchestra’s (and Beethoven’s!) Anniversary.
Martin Majkut, Music Director
As we celebrate the Rogue Valley Symphony’s 60th anniversary, this Diamond Season offers a moment to reflect on our orchestra and the music that defines it. The season is packed with hits!
Our audiences came to expect soloists with a wow factor but even among these high expectations, I am confident we are establishing a new benchmark. Every name on the list is the crème de la crème in their field. The solo roster is simply off the charts!
Up Next
Masterworks 1
Ives: Central Park in the Dark
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
George Li, piano
Elgar: Enigma Variations
Charles Ives creates an unmistakably American soundscape in Central Park in the Dark, where stillness and distant activity unfold simultaneously in a vivid portrait of nighttime in New York City.
At the center of the program, Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 stands as a monumental work, symphonic in scope and deeply personal in expression. Written at a pivotal moment in his career, it reveals a composer shaping his voice on a grand scale.
Elgar’s Enigma Variations closes the program with warmth, mystery, and humanity. Each variation offers a musical portrait from the composer’s circle, culminating in the beloved “Nimrod,” a moment of profound emotional depth that lingers long after the final note.
The second theme running through the season: half of our concerts feature works of Beethoven, to mark the 200th anniversary of the great master’s death.
Martin MAjkut, Music Director
Masterworks 2
Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Will Hagen, violin
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra
Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni opens with dramatic intensity and theatrical brilliance, setting the stage for an evening of contrast. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, written at the height of his creative power, remains one of the most beloved works in the repertoire. Both lyrical and virtuosic, it offers the soloist a wide expressive range while maintaining elegance and balance.
Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra brings the program to a brilliant conclusion. A true modern classic, it reveals the full range of the orchestra, with instruments featured in dialogue across sections. At times playful and mysterious, the work builds toward a brilliant and exhilarating finale.
The greatest gesture of my musical admiration comes with Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. I have been saving this work for 16 years, waiting for the right moment—and this is it. As the title indicates, virtuosity by every member of the orchestra is required. This is one of the most perfect and most brilliant works ever conceived for an orchestra. I consider it the highlight of our season.
Martin MAjkut, Music Director
Solo Recital
Bach: Italian Concerto, BWV 971
Shostakovich: Sonata No. 2 in B Minor
Debussy: 12 Études
Following his debut with the orchestra, Vitaly Starikov returns with a program of Bach, Shostakovich, and Debussy. Each composer brings a distinct voice, from clarity and structure to introspection and color.
The program moves across styles and eras, revealing a wide expressive range shaped by precision, depth, and virtuosity. A compelling evening that highlights both the instrument and the artist.
The Magic of
the Holidays
Tyzik:: A Christmas Overture
(Variations on Deck the Halls)
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on “Greensleeves”
arr. Tyzik: Ave Maria
Arnold: The Holly and the Ivy
Kelly: Of Nights and Lights:
A Chanukah Celebration
Tyzik: The Twelve Gifts of Christmas
Anderson: Sleigh Ride
Gruber arr. Tyzik: Silent Night
Finnlegan: Christmas Sing Along
Masterworks 3
Beethoven: Egmont Overture
Dvořák: Violin Concerto
Paul Huang, violin
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”
This program turns toward the rich musical traditions of Central and Eastern Europe, beginning with Dvorák’s Violin Concerto, a work that blends lyric warmth with rhythmic vitality and expressive depth. It remains one of the most compelling contributions to the concerto repertoire.
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” stands among the most powerful symphonic statements ever written. Deeply personal in nature, the work unfolds with intensity and emotional breath, moving from moments of grace to a final movement marked by profound and haunting introspection.
Masterworks 4
Prokofiev: Classical Symphony
C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concerto in D Minor
Marina Piccinini, flute
Foote: A Night Piece
Marina Piccinini, flute
Haydn: Symphony No. 104
Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, written in the style of Haydn, combines classical clarity with modern harmonic language, wit, and brilliance. Light in spirit yet precise in construction, it remains one of his most engaging works.
C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto in D Minor bridges the Baroque and Classical eras with expressive contrast and technical brilliance. Dramatic in character and rich in color, the work offers both emotional depth and virtuosic challenge.
Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, the final of his London symphonies, brings the program to a vibrant close. Full of energy, humor, and folk-like melody, it stands as a fitting culmination of his symphonic voice.
Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony and Shostakovich’s Fifth make a classical music over rejoice.
Martin MAjkut, Music Director
Masterworks 5
Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5
Joyce Yang, piano
Nielsen: Symphony No. 5
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 stands as one of the grandest works in the concerto repertoire, combining power, scale, and lyricism. Expansive in scope and demanding for the soloist, it reflects a bold and confident artistic voice. The “Emperor” title, though not Beethoven’s own, has come to define its stature.
Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5 follows with a work of striking originality and intensity. Known for its dramatic contrasts and driving energy, the symphony unfolds with a sense of unpredictability and force that continues to captivate audiences.
I added a lesser- known “epic” symphony, Danish composer Nielsen’s idiosyncratic and unforgettable No. 5, featuring a musical battle between the renegade snare drum and the orchestra.
Martin Majkut
Masterworks 6
Theofanidis: Rainbow Body
Strauss: Four Last Songs
Meredith Wohlgemuth, soprano
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
Theofanidis’s Rainbow Body draws on both medieval chant and the Tibetan Buddhist concept of transformation, creating a work that evolves organically in color and texture. The music unfolds as a continuous arc, expanding and transforming across the orchestra.
Strauss’s Four Last Songs offers a deeply reflective farewell, written near the end of the composer’s life. Scored for soprano and orchestra, the work is marked by warmth, serenity, and a sense of luminous stillness. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 closes the season with one of the most compelling works of the twentieth century. Written at a pivotal moment in his career, it balances public triumph with underlying tension, leaving its final meaning open to interpretation.
Past Concerts
Americana Pops
Boyer: New Beginnings
Nelson: Savannah River Holiday
Gottschalk: The Union
Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, piano
Gould: American Salute
Ellington, arr. Herman: Duke Ellington Fantasy
Ellington: New World A-Coming
Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, piano
Arr. Ricketts: Satchmo! (Tribute to Louis Armstrong)
Fuller: The RVS Parade
Fuller: Martin’s March
Gershwin: “I Got Rhythm” Variations
Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, piano