Delaware Symphony Orchestra to bestow musical honor Sept. 28, 30
American composer Robert Paterson will receive the 2018-19 A.I. du Pont Composer’s Award at the Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s season-opening Classics Series concerts at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28, in Copeland Hall, The Grand Opera House, Wilmington, and at 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Cape Henlopen High School Theatre, Lewes. DSO Music Director David Amado will conduct the concert of all-American music, titled The American Dream: A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein.
The performances will open with Paterson’s “Dark Mountains,” a 14-minute composition commissioned by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in 2011. “While the work was inspired from experiences negotiating Vermont’s Green Mountains, the imagery can easily transfer to some of the back roads in the Brandywine Valley,” said DSO Executive Director Alan Jordan, who held that same position with the Vermont Symphony when it commissioned the piece. “But ‘Dark Mountains’ has broader appeal than just audiences living in hills, as evidenced by performances by the Austin Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic.”
The first section of the work portrays the calmness and austerity of a quiet evening. The second is inspired by a fast drive down winding country roads, with twists and turns, frequent tempo changes and shifting gears. The final section evokes the feeling of looking at the nighttime sky with moonlight shining through the trees and the sounds of nature in the distance.
Robert Paterson composes music that is loved for its elegance, wit, structural integrity, and wonderful sense of color. He was named Composer of The Year by the Classical Recording Foundation with a performance and celebration at Carnegie's Weill Hall, and his music has been on the Grammy ballot yearly. Paterson's works have been played by the Louisville Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Austin Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, New York New Music Ensemble, BargeMusic, California EAR Unit, and Ensemble Aleph in Paris. He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM), Indiana University (MM), and Cornell University (DMA), and resides in New York City with his wife, Victoria, and son, Dylan, both of whom will join Paterson in Delaware for the award ceremony and performances.
The A.I. duPont Composer’s Award was instituted by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in 1985 to honor Alfred I. duPont. In addition to his business and philanthropic interests, duPont was an accomplished musician, credited with founding the predecessor to the DSO. The award, which is made after a formal selection process and carries a cash prize, recognizes a distinguished living American composer or conductor who has made a significant contribution to contemporary classical music. Past winners are among the most celebrated composers of recent history, including Morton Gould, John Adams, Robert Ward, Phillip Glass, George Crumb, Libby Larsen, Jennifer Higdon, Kevin Puts, Aaron Jay Kernis, Christopher Theofanidis, and Andre Previn. David Ludwig was the 2017-18 recipient.
In announcing the annual award, Music Director David Amado said, “It is an honor and pleasure to welcome Robert Paterson to Delaware to accept the A.I. duPont Composer’s Award. His refined and sophisticated musical sensibilities, and his energetic and articulate advocacy for new music make him a wonderfully worthy recipient.” Amado will be joined by Paterson for a pre-concert talk from the stage at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 28, and at 2 p.m., Sept. 30. A complete biography of Robert Paterson can be found at robertpaterson.com/bio.
On the concerts, following “Dark Mountains,” violinist Jennifer Koh will perform Leonard Bernstein’s only work for solo violin and orchestra, his “Serenade (After Plato’s ‘Symposium’).” After intermission, Amado and the DSO will present Aaron Copeland’s suite from his seminal ballet, “Appalachian Spring,” and “Medea’s Dance of Vengeance” from the ballet suite, “Medea,” by West Chester native Samuel Barber. The performances pay homage to Leonard Bernstein, whose 100th birthday would have been Aug. 25, 2018; he is, perhaps, the greatest American composer, conductor, musician, and teacher.
“We’ll celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s centenary with an all-American season opener, playing music inspired by the great outdoors by Paterson and Copland, and music fueled by Ancient Greek stories and philosophers by Barber and Bernstein,” said Amado. “I am so excited to welcome violinist Jennifer Koh back to The Grand for her take on Bernstein’s Serenade – a work filled with extraordinary technical demands on both soloist and orchestra – and infused with Bernstein’s signature tunefulness, sly wit, and rhythmic playfulness.” Copeland was perhaps Bernstein’s closest musical colleague, and Bernstein and Barber both attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra is one of the premier regional orchestras in the United States and the only fully professional orchestra in the state. The DSO has been an integral part of the First State’s cultural life since 1906. Recognized for artistic excellence, the Symphony presents classical and contemporary repertoire in full orchestra and chamber music concerts, educational programs, and special events that attract audiences from throughout the Delaware Valley region. For more information, call the DSO office at 302-656-7442, or visit www.delawaresymphony.org.
