Events

Gergely Madaras, conductor
Sharon Kam, clarinet
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

Jessie Montgomery: Starburst
Aaron Copland: Clarinet Concerto
George Gershwin (arr. Thorsten Encke): It Ain’t Necessarily So, Walking the Dog, I Got Rhythm ja Summertime arranged for clarinet and orchestra
Modest Mussorgsky (orchestrated Maurice Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition

Inspired by architect Viktor Hartmann’s drawings, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is an all-time favourite for orchestral pieces. The concert is a fitting collision of classical and jazz, with Sharon Kam, one of the world’s great clarinetists, as soloist. Benny Goodman commissioned Copland to write the Clarinet Concerto, the first movement of which became his most lyrical and melodic work. The second movement is heavily jazz-influenced, taking listeners to the hits of Gershwin, who also composed across genres. Grammy-winning composer Jessie Montgomery is one of the most important voices in classical music today, and the opening number, Starburst, is an energetic piece for string orchestra.