Hartford Symphony Orchestra to Begin 'Masterworks' Season with 'Scheherazade!'

From Hartford Symphony Orchestra:

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2016-2017 Masterworks season with a program of music with global flair! The HSO presents "Scheherazade!" on Friday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Oct. 9 in the Belding Theater at The Bushnell in Hartford. A free, pre-concert talk, led by HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan, will take place one hour prior to each performance. Plus, don’t miss local artist Sarah Paolucci’s exhibit in the lobby, featuring gorgeous paintings of HSO musicians’ hands! Visit the Hartford Symphony Orchestra website for information. The 2016-2017 Masterworks Series is sponsored by The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.

These concerts will be conducted by Carolyn Kuan and feature guest classical guitarist Ana Vidovic. The program includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34," Rodrigo’s "Concierto de Aranjuez" for guitar and orchestra and Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Scheherazade, Op. 35."

Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Capriccio espagnol" is one of the most famous orchestra showpieces, a vividly brilliant composition based on Spanish folk melodies. Inspired by the collection of Middle Eastern and Indian tales “The Thousand and One Nights,” Rimsky Korsakov’s "Scheherazade" brings to vibrant life the story of the young wife of a sultan who tells tales to her husband to forestall his plan to kill her. Rodrigo’s extraordinarily beautiful "Concierto de Aranjuez" for guitar and orchestra is unquestionably his best known work and established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the 20th century.

Ana Vidovic is an extraordinary talent known for her beautiful tone, precise technique, well-defined phrasing and thoughtful artistry and musicianship. Her international performance career has taken her to many of Europe’s cultural destinations, including Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb. She has also appeared in performance in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Korea and Mexico as well as in the U.S. in Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, N.Y., San Francisco, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C. and more. She has recorded six CDs, and Mel Bay Publications has released two of Ana Vidovic’s DVDs, entitled “Guitar Artistry in Concert” and “Guitar Virtuoso.”

During recent seasons, Ms. Vidovic has appeared at the International Guitar Festival, Le Domaine Forget and Big Sky, Mont. and has performed in recital at the New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes College of Music, Baruch College and at the 92nd St. Y. In addition to performing with the Hartford Symphony, Ms. Vidovic’s 2016-2017 season includes concerto engagements with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, a recital tour to Germany, her Rome recital debut, a San Francisco recital and a return to New York's 92nd Street Y’s prestigious guitar series.

Ms. Vidovic has won an impressive number of prizes and international competitions, including first prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition, the Fernando Sor competition and the Francisco Tarrega competition. Other top prizes include the Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, Mauro Giuliani competition in Italy, Printemps de la Guitare in Belgium and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in N.Y. In Croatia, the guitarist has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian Radio and Television, and has been featured in three television documentaries by Croatian film director Petar Krelja.

Ms. Vidovic comes from the small town of Karlovac near Zagreb, Croatia. She started playing guitar at the age of 5 and by 7 had given her first public performance. At the age of 11, she was performing internationally and at 13 became the youngest student to attend the prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb, where she studied with Professor Istvan Romer. Ms. Vidovic’s reputation in Europe led to an invitation to study with Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory, from which she graduated.

Photo courtesy of Hartford Symphony Orchestra