TEXARKANA, Texas - The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra starts season 14 on Saturday, Oct. 5, embarking on a new journey with maestro Philip Mann as conductor and music director.
"A New Era Begins" at the Perot Theatre features two timeless greats, Mozart and Tchaikovsky, plus a hometown composer, Clint Needham, whose compositions have put him on the map in the contemporary classical scene. Then there's the spectacular guest artist, Elisso Bolkvadze, on piano for the Mozart.
For the TSO, plenty is arriving with this new era.
"It's a full bill," Mann said. "In a lot of ways I think this program is a good example of what a great program can be for an orchestra. It's got some things that are familiar and beloved. It will have a world premiere and something brand new. There will be a returning favorite in Clint Needham and then an introduction of a new artist, Elisso."
Mann hopes the combination is a sign of what's to come at the TSO.
About the repertoire, Mann said, "One of the most perfect combinations in all of classical music is Mozart and Tchaikovsky."
Different composers have different flavors, he explained, and sometimes they don't mesh well. But it works with these two.
"I think the main reason is that both of them write with a very vocal conception of music," Mann said. "They clearly have singable lines." And both have an affinity for Italian culture and music, giving another, operatic connection from the time they spent in Italy, he believes.
In this program, the musicians will be essentially singing through the instruments. Tchaikovsky was a huge fan of Mozart, the conductor said, which can be seen in the comparable architecture of their music.
After the national anthem to start, the concert launches into Needham's commissioned piece. Mann commissioned it specifically for the occasion. They both attended Indiana University at the same time, but this is the first time they've worked together.
"The name of it is 'Swagger,'" Mann said. "It's an evocative title, which absolutely perfectly matches. There's a sensibility of dance and movement, and virtuosity and talent. It will be another great way to kick off the season in terms of sound."
Needham's work will showcase TSO virtuosity, the conductor said. Look for it to display a propulsive sense of forward movement. "I hope that will permeate the rest of the season, in a way," Mann said.
Of the hometown composer, the conductor is a fan. "He's one of the most talented American composers," Mann said. "He's well-established he has a burgeoning international career."
The Tchaikovsky work, "Symphony No. 5, in E Minor, Op. 64," is beloved - "one of the most extraordinary works in the Romantic classical repertoire," Mann said. For some, it marked the time they fell in love with music.
"Hearing their first performance of it got them hooked on coming to a symphony orchestra," Mann said, "or perhaps it was one of things that reminded them of what made symphonic music so special."
He says it captures the full range of our human experience. "It goes from tragedy to triumph. There is deep longing and love," he said. He enjoys introducing it to orchestras he hasn't worked with long.
"It's a place to explore the extraordinary possibilities of string sound," Mann said.
The Mozart selection is "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 21 in C Major, K. 467." Bolkvadze is guest pianist for this work, and it's one of the conductor's favorite Mozart concerti.
"It's just an exquisite gem of a concerto. It's absolutely perfect. It's another piece that I think someone who's never even been to a classical concert could immediately love and enjoy without any previous experience," Mann said.
He's worked many times with Bolkvadze, and he describes her as having a wonderful affinity for Mozart. "When I think of great Mozart playing, she's one of the examples that pops to mind," he said. "She's a passionate musician. She's somebody with a lot of fire and virtuosity and a smoldering intensity."
But to counterbalance that, he said, Bolkvadze also possesses an elegance and clarity in her performing that matches the classicism to be found in Mozart. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, she's been victorious at many competitions and performed all over the world in top concert halls.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
(Tickets; $53, $43, $33. To purchase tickets, call the Perot Theatre Box Office at 903-792-4992 or visit TexarkanaSymphony.org.)