Tchaikovsky, Chen and Nielsen
Fri May 13 — Sat May 14, 2022
Orchestra Hall
Xian Zhang makes a long-awaited return to Orchestra Hall to conduct music of beauty and nostalgia. The concerts open with Qigang Chen’s L’eloignement for String Orchestra, a poignant work inspired by a Chinese proverb and the vital force of renewal and rebirth. Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel takes the solo spotlight in Carl Nielsen’s warm-hearted Flute Concerto. Returning to the theme of renewal, Aurora awakes from her slumber in Tchaikovsky’s Suite from The Sleeping Beauty.
A Few Things to Know
- An active triathlete, Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel was the winner of his age group in the 2019 Minneapolis Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. Read our recent interview with Adam here.
- Qigang Chen was the music director of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, which was watched by more than a billion people around the world.
Program
-
CHEN
L’Eloignement
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Qigang Chen’s L’Éloignement is a poignant work for strings inspired by a Chinese proverb and the vital force of renewal and rebirth, with music of conflicting moods that the composer calls “happy and sad, nostalgic and exciting.”
-
NIELSEN
Flute Concerto
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto is a compact piece in just two movements, charming and pastoral, yet also quirky, with a brash trombone asserting itself as the flute’s rival.
- INTERMISSION
-
TCHAIKOVSKY
Suite from The Sleeping Beauty
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty presents a tale of magical spells, a long-delayed romance and a royal wedding full of color. A soaring waltz, one of the most popular ever written, is among the highlights of the suite performed here.
-
TCHAIKOVSKY
Francesca da Rimini
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem Francesca da Rimini tells a tale from the epic poetry of Dante, of two adulterous lovers who are caught, murdered and cast into eternal torment. Unfolding in three sections, it contains some of Tchaikovsky’s stormiest music.
Artists
Minnesota Orchestra
Adam Kuenzel
flute
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century, ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, broadcasts and educational engagement programs; and a commitment to intentionally build concert programs to feature more works by composers of color, exploring music both contemporary and historic. In September 2024, Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård begins his second season as music director.
Since joining the Minnesota Orchestra in 1990, Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel has regularly appeared as soloist at Orchestra Hall. In 2007 he gave the world premiere of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski’s Fantasies for Flute and Orchestra, Il Piffero della Notte, with the composer conducting. In 2009 he performed Bernstein’s Halil, earning acclaim from The New York Times and MusicalAmerica.com. He premiered Manuel Sosa’s Eloquentia: Espacio para Flauta y Orquesta in 2010; the work, which was written for Kuenzel, garnered the composer a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011. In 2017 he was selected to premiere Laura Schwendinger's Aurora for flute and piano; commissioned by the National Flute Association for its annual convention, which was held in Minneapolis. He was most recently featured as a soloist in May 2022 on Carl Nielsen's Flute Concerto.
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large Print Programs
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
Sponsored By
This concert is sponsored by Christina and Terry Schopfer.
