Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra Presents Winter Concert: Transfigured Night

Feb. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra’s winter concert, Transfigured Night, will be presented on Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church, 935 W. Wisconsin Ave., in downtown Milwaukee. Music director Richard Hynson will conduct Arnold Schönberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” (“Transfigured Night”,) Rolf Martinsson’s “A. S. in Memoriam,” and “Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3” by Ottorino Respighi. Tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $10 for students with school ID. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.MilwaukeeChamberOrchestra.org, by phone at 414-881-9900, or at the door.

“Schönberg’s work, written over a century ago, proclaims what neuroscientists in increasing numbers are confirming in the laboratory: music changes us,” said Hynson. “Their research shows that music activates so many parts of the brain that it is impossible to pinpoint where it affects us; but they do know that it stimulates and alters our emotional states, it penetrates to connect with and touch those with damaged or diseased brains, and it lingers longer than almost any other memory in patients with dementia.  It moves us, and in being moved we are connected at a profoundly emotional, spiritual level.

“A young Swedish composer was so moved by Schönberg’s work that he composed a work one hundred years later in homage to it.  ‘A. S. in Memoriam,’ Martinsson’s emotional response to ‘Verklärte Nacht’ even quotes one of Schönberg’s musical themes.

“Finally, Respighi, moved by the beauty of music from the 16th and 17th centuries, selected and arranged many of his favorites into suites.  Using modern compositional techniques, he transformed them into something new and accessible for his audiences—and today, for us.

“Passionate intimacy and a profound connection with the music have become the hallmarks of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra. I invite everyone to this extraordinary live-concert experience, where you’ll feel like you’re a part of the performance.”

Complimentary valet parking is available at the southeast corner of 10th Street and Wisconsin Ave. All patrons are invited to a free wine tasting one hour prior to the concert, presented by Vino 100 of Wauwatosa. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the MCO.

Richard Hynson, music director
Richard Hynson has served as music director of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra since 2006. Hynson has conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Skylight Opera Theatre, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and the Racine, Sheboygan, and Waukesha Symphony Orchestras.  He also has conducted the popular outdoor music festival, Gathering on the Green, in Mequon, Wis., for the last two summers. Hynson is in much demand locally and nationally as a clinician. In addition to his work as a conductor and educator, Hynson is a composer. His written contributions include a substantial body of published choral, vocal, and ensemble works. Music critic Barbara Castonguay (Third-CoastDigest.com, January 31, 2010) wrote, “…Under the direction of Richard Hynson, the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra was spot on. The complicated rhythms never seemed scattered or frantic. Phrasing was impeccable…”

The Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the only professional chamber orchestra in the greater Milwaukee area, has been performing the highest quality chamber music for more than 30 years. The MCO provides a unique experience for audience members as well as important performance opportunities to professional musicians in the area.

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Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the only professional chamber orchestra in the Greater Milwaukee Area, Richard Hynson, music director, provides a unique, intimate musical experience for its audience and performers. http://www.MilwaukeeChamberOrchestra.org