Texarkana Entertainment Blog

Congratulations where congratulations are due! This past Saturday’s Texarkana Symphony Orchestra concert at the Perot Theatre was a superb end to a season that celebrated five successful years for the orchestra here in town.

It was a rousing show, starting with a powerful and evocative performance of Respighi’s “The Pines of Rome.” Then Clint Needham’s “Southern Air” premiere introduced Texarkanians to a wonderful piece by Needham, a young composer and native son. It’s a nostalgic, beautiful composition that truly captured the weather’s spirit on this warm spring day—thick, sultry Southern air. Needham is a promising composer who’s already created some wonderful work. After a brief intermission, then the featured performer came to the stage to offer a passionate, gorgeous performance of the Sibelius “Violin Concerto in D Minor.” It’s quite a coup that the TSO was able to bring Elena Urioste to town. As part of her stay here, she also visited local schools to talk with young musicians (as did Needham). It’s great to see young, talented people involved in the symphony and classical music.

Kudos to the TSO.

Anyone who attended also got a sneak preview of the upcoming 2011-2012 season. The TSO kicks off the season in September with Beethoven. In November the TSO will “Go for Baroque” with some Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. In February it’s Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and then in April it’s a “Spotlight on Broadway.” TSO will also stage its annual Black History Month concert, students shows, and both Christmas and Halloween family concerts.

- Aaron Brand

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It’s refreshing to meet someone young, vivacious and passionate about her art who is also a good teacher and wise. That’s how it was this morning when Elena Urioste, a New York-based violinist who has played at Carnegie Hall and with symphonies worldwide, came to Texas Middle School to work with 10 strings students.

The class period at the school’s band hall left teacher Steve Bennett’s students a little awestruck. They even asked Urioste, who performs a Sibelius violin concerto Saturday night with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, for autographs. She encouraged them to have fun, let loose, pay attention to each other, and come together to make one sound. A good lesson. They responded.

Even during her brief warm-up and an impromptu performance of a selection from “Carmen,” she seemed to become one with the instrument, the bow acting as an extension of her fingers, the soul of the piece finding a sensitive, smart translator in Urioste. See Friday’s Texarkana Gazette for my interview with her.

- Aaron Brand

Violinist Elena Urioste discusses her upcoming Saturday performance with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra on the morning of Thursday, April 7, 2011 at Texas Middle School. Urioste, who is 24, says she tries to inspire at least one student when she meets with groups of them. She will perform Jean Sibelius' "Violin Concerto in D Minor" with the TSO. Staff photo by Evan Lewis.

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I’ve spent much of this morning and early afternoon listening to the lively, inviting music of Clint Needham, a Texarkana-born composer whose commissioned work, “Southern Air,” is slated to be performed at the upcoming Texarkana Symphony Orchestra concert, “Sounds of the Next Generation.” His music is the perfect earworm for a pleasant spring Friday.

Also on tap for this performance on April 9 (7:30 p.m. on a Saturday) at the Perot Theatre is young violinist Elena Urioste (her playing has been described as “passionate” in the New York Times) for a repertoire also including “The Pines of Rome” by Ottorino Respighi and “Violin Concerto in D Minor” by Jean Sibelius.

It’s the TSO’s concluding presentation for the 2010-2011 season, which has seen TSO folks celebrate five years of providing classical music of all stripes to local music lovers. See next Friday’s Accent page for a big advance. Check out more about Needham here at his Website: ClintNeedham.com. And the TSO Website: Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.

- Aaron Brand

- Aaron Brand

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Carl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana” is a dramatic musical accompaniment to many movies and other popular forms of entertainment. When you hear it, it’s instantly recognizable. The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra will perform the piece for its final concert of the 2009-2010 season, which is titled “Isn’t it Romantic.” More than 175 performers will be on the Perot Theatre stage to perform this masterpiece after an opening performance of segments from Wagner’s “Die Meistersingers von Nuremberg.” Orff in some ways was atypical for his times, explained TSO conductor Marc-André Bougie when I sat down to discuss the performance with him. The concerts starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, with a concert preview at 6:45 p.m.. Joining the TSO are the Texarkana Regional Chorale, Texarkana College Choir, Shreveport Chorale, and the Veritas Academy Treble Chorus. Here’s my discussion with Bougie and story from Friday’s Gazette: Hypnotic melodies.

- Aaron Brand

Staff file photo by Tanner Spendley:

Conductor Marc-André Bougie of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.

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Up next for the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra is something different: a Saturday concert. The TSO hopes moving to the weekend helps boost attendance, and here there was a chance to get a Saturday date into the mix for TSO’s schedule, said TSO’s music director and conductor Mard-André Bougie. On tap for the evening is Rachmaninoff, who was a bit unusual for his times as a late Romantic Era composer. Local pianist Mary Scott Goode will be featured during a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Also on tap for the evening is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Here’s the story from today’s Gazette: Symphony to “Rach’ it with Goode on piano.

- Aaron Brand

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