Colorado Symphony Orchestra - Dvorak

Yumi Hwang-Williams Performs Bartok

Special guest conductor Andre de Ridder brings his discriminating ear for balance and timbre to a rousing new year program of Dessner, Bartok and Dvorak with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The symphony's Concertmaster and bonafide violin virtuoso Yumi Hwang-Williams joins the ensemble for an electrifying arrangement of Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2, a composition celebrated for the fiery spirit of its Hungarian gypsy dance-tinged melodies and rhythms. 

Alongside Bartok's concerto, the CSO also present Reponse Lutoslawski, a tribute to 20th-century Polish classical icon Witold Lutoslawksi written by The National guitarist Bryce Dessner. A bold and atmospheric piece that juxtaposes the music of Lutoslawski's day with a contemporary sound, its lush melodies and soaring harmonies celebrate the Polish roots of both composers. The evening concludes with Dvorak's soul-stirring Symphony No. 9, the bohemian composer's signature work which was written during a brief yet productive sojourn in America. Affectionately known as the New World Symphony, it heralded a new dawn for American music thanks to its rhythmic references to Native American music and melodic references to African-American spirituals.