Sunwook Kim Plays Brahms
Thu Apr 28 — Sat Apr 30, 2022
Orchestra Hall
When architecture inspires music, edges and curves and textures weave together and take shape to create something stunning and new. Vivian Fung’s Aqua is such an example, an orchestral work inspired by the 82-story Aqua Tower in Chicago. Samuel Barber introduces a wave of orchestral sound with his single-movement Symphony No. 1. Joining the Orchestra for these concerts are conductor Gemma New, who steps onto the podium at Orchestra Hall for the first time, and pianist Sunwook Kim, who debuts in Brahms’ First Piano Concerto.
A Few Things to Know
- Composer Vivian Fung answered a few questions about her music, her first steps into composing, her inspirations and more in a new Q&A with the Minnesota Orchestra.
- The Aqua Tower was designed by Studio Gang and was imagined to portray a vertical landscape made up of hills, valleys and pools.
- Samuel Barber began composing music at age seven. By the time he sat down to write his First Symphony, he already had 18 years of experience.
Program
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FUNG
Aqua
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Inspired by and emulating Chicago’s Aqua Tower, Aqua is divided in two parts, the first representing the building’s ebbing and flowing balconies—with music first gentle and then violent—and the second depicting its dipping and swelling vertical pools, spotlighting solo harp and a climactic pandemonium of sound that dissipates into the ether.
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BARBER
Symphony No. 1
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Long, singing lines and memorable themes show Barber’s considerable melodic gift in this early work, written when the composer was just shy of 26. Rich orchestral color is provided by every instrument family as tunes change from soaring to jagged, from quiet to intensely powerful.
- INTERMISSION
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BRAHMS
Piano Concerto No. 1
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Many see in this work the young composer’s reaction to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and to the turmoil that followed the attempted suicide of Brahms’ dear friend, Robert Schumann. The concerto, dramatic and emotional, gives the orchestra an aggressive role, assigning more lyrical music to the piano. Of note: the second movement’s “lovely portrait” of Clara Schumann and, in the bold finale, cadenzas leading to a majestic conclusion.
Artists
Minnesota Orchestra
Gemma New
conductor
Sunwook Kim
piano
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, led by Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård—who is serving as music director designate during the 2022-23 season—is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings and broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. Founded in 1903, the Orchestra has an extensive history of touring throughout Minnesota, nationally and abroad, including high-profile visits in recent years to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. Recording projects undertaken in the past two decades include complete cycles of symphonies by Beethoven, Sibelius and Mahler, all recorded under Osmo Vänskä, who is now the Orchestra’s conductor laureate.
Sought after for her insightful interpretations and dynamic presence, New Zealand-born Gemma New is Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Hailed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as “a rising star in the musical firmament”, New is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Sir George Solti Conducting Award.
The 2020-21 season saw Gemma New make notable debuts with Seattle Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and Basque National Orchestra of Spain. She led three subscription programs with Dallas Symphony Orchestra in her second season as Principal Guest Conductor. Over the course of the season, Gemma returned to her home country to conduct three programs with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, including Handel’s Messiah on a global IDAGIO livestream.
Sunwook Kim came to international recognition when he won the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006, aged just 18, becoming the competition’s youngest winner for 40 years, as well as its first Asian winner. Since then, he has established a reputation as one of the finest pianists of his generation, appearing as a concerto soloist in the subscription series of some of the world’s leading orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskappele Dresden, Chicago Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Finnish Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Orchestra of Wales, Radio-France Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Hallé Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for his BBC Proms debut in Summer 2014.
Conductor collaborations include with Karina Canellakis, Nathalie Stutzmann, Thomas Sondergard, Tugan Sokhiev, Daniel Harding, Paavo Jarvi, David Afhkam, Edward Gardner, John Elliot Gardiner, Myung-Whun Chung, Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kirill Karabits, Marek Janowski, Sakari Oramo, Andrew Manze, Vassily Sinaisky, Paavo Järvi, Michael Sanderling, Yuri Bashmet and Sir Mark Elder.
Recital highlights to date include regular appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall (London International Piano Series), in the ‘Piano 4 Etoiles’ series at the Philharmonie de Paris and Théâtre des Champs- Élysées, Piano aux Jacobin Festival, AIX Festival, La Roque d’Antheron International Piano Festival (France) as well as at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festspiele, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Kioi Hall in Tokyo, Symphony Hall Osaka and Seoul Arts Centre. Sunwook is also a keen chamber musician and has collaborated with singers such as Robert Holl and Kwang-Chul Youn.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, exhibits and more. All free with your concert ticket!
Piano Performance by Dyril Davis
When: Thu, Apr 28 | 10am -10:45 am
Where: Target Atrium
Enjoy a pre-concert piano performance by Dyril Davis.
Pre-Concert Interview with Michael Adams
When: Thu Apr 28 | 10:15am
Where: Auditorium
Join former Minnesota Orchestra violist Michael Adams for a discussion about the music on today's program.
Pre-Concert Interview with Michael Adams
When: Fri Apri 29 & Sat Apr 30 | 7:05pm
Where: Auditorium
MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra
When: Fri Apr 29 | 7:15pm
Where: Target Atrium
The MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra (MNYO) is a tuition-free youth orchestra for students in grades 7-12 representing many area schools. The group rehearses Saturday afternoons and also receives dedicated sectional time with faculty.
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large Print Programs
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
Sponsored By
With this concert we gratefully recognize C. Curtis Dunnavan for his generous contribution to the Minnesota Orchestra.
