UNT symphony, choir join faculty vocalists to end season with Beethoven’s Ninth, Five Mystical Songs

Friday, April 3, 2015 - 17:56

What: The University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra and Grand Chorus, with David Itkin and Jerry McCoy, conductors, will end their spring 2015 season with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs.

When: 8 p.m. April 29 (Wednesday).

Where: Winspear Performance Hall at UNT's Murchison Performing Arts Center, located on the north side of Interstate 35E at North Texas Boulevard.

Tickets: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors over age 55, non-UNT students, children, UNT faculty/staff/retirees and groups of 10 or more. Free for UNT students with student ID, who must pick up their individual tickets in person at the box office.

Visit thempac.music.unt.edu or call 940-369-7802 for information or to purchase tickets.

DENTON, Texas (UNT) -- Beethoven's iconic Ninth Symphony will be paired with Ralph Vaughan Williams' musically moving Five Mystical Songs for the season-ending concert featuring the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra and Grand Chorus. Members of the UNT voice faculty will be featured on the program as soloists, including soprano Carol Wilson, soprano Molly Fillmore, tenor William Joyner and bass-baritone Stephen Morscheck in the Beethoven piece, and baritone Jeffrey Snider in the Vaughan Williams piece.

Highly regarded, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor is one of the works from the musical canon that is crucial for emerging musicians to have performed, said David Itkin, conductor of the UNT Symphony Orchestra, who added that he recognized now was the "right time" for the UNT ensembles to perform this monumental piece.

"Audiences who have heard Beethoven's Ninth before will rarely have heard it at this level; we take it for granted that there is an orchestra like this at UNT that outplays many professional orchestras in the country, as well as an equally unmatched choir," said Itkin. "Together, the ensembles are an amazing force that people rarely hear at a university."

The Beethoven piece will be paired with a more overtly vocal work that includes, in addition to its soloists, the UNT Grand Chorus, prepared under the direction of UNT Regents Professor of Music Jerry McCoy.

"The audience will not likely be familiar with the Five Mystical Songs; however, they will leave with a profound appreciation for the work," says Itkin. "It is an amazingly beautiful piece with unique text that contains a lot of complex metaphorical and religious themes and combines imagery from the secular and sacred worlds."

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.

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