German Genius and Joker Pre-Concert Letter

Our first concert of the New Year is bound to be a highlight of our season. Beethoven’s Septet is an iconic work in the chamber music genre and this epic work will be performed by an all-star lineup. We are especially pleased to be joined by William VerMeulen, Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony, Professor of Horn at Rice University and visiting professor at ESM. Known internationally as a preeminent horn soloist he is equally well–known for his teaching and many successful students that play in the country’s top orchestras.

The first half will begin with our Composition Competition winning piece, Sonata for Flute and Piano, by Julian Bennett Holmes. Performed by the Eastman-Hanson Chamber Ensemble as part of our ongoing collaboration between the winning composers and ESM students, we continue to foster meaningful collaborations between young composers and students.

Also on the program is an outstanding adaptation of the popular favorite among Richard Strauss’ large-scale tone poems, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks. Arranged by Franz Hazenöhrl for horn, violin, clarinet, bassoon and double bass, Till Eulenspiegel Einmal Anders!, according to one analyst, can be viewed as “a practical joke about a famous practical joker!” Surely you’ll hear the excitement and humor in this work.

Please feel free to join us for a complimentary wine tasting during intermission. The Pre-concert chat is at 3:30pm and the performance begins at 4:00pm.

Warmly,
Erik and Juliana