Bangor, ME – After performing exclusively for digital viewers for the last 20 months, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra is welcoming audiences back to the Collins Center for the Arts for the start of its 126th season. The return concert on Sunday, October 10th at 3pm will feature the music of Aaron Copland and Benjamin Britten alongside a world premiere by Reinaldo Moya with pianist Joyce Yang. Music Director and Conductor Lucas Richman leads the program, which will also be available for online streaming starting October 12th. In-person audiences will be required to adhere to the BSO’s health and safety policies, including presenting proof of COVD-19 vaccination or a negative test result, and wearing a mask inside the venue regardless of vaccination status.
A World Premiere of International Significance
Reinaldo Moya is the inaugural recipient of the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation Composer Award, a juried national competition spearheaded by the Rockland-based foundation. His Concerto for Piano, Strings and Percussion, written for the BSO and pianist Joyce Yang, is inspired by the artwork of Carlos Cruz-Diez, one of the most prominent Latin American artists of the last century. The work of Cruz-Diez is known for its distinct use of color and energy.Â
About the piece, Moya writes, “As a Venezuelan, I have always admired the art of Carlos Cruz-Diez. His work is ubiquitous throughout the country, but especially so in my home city of Caracas. For years I have carried the idea of writing a piece of music that could serve as the aural counterpart to Cruz-Diez’s visuals.” Five works by Cruz-Diez will be projected above the orchestra during the performance, further highlighting the interplay between music and art. In a pre-concert talk to be released online starting October 4th, Moya will be joined by Fabi Cruz, granddaughter of Carlos Cruz-Diez and a visual music artist and musician in her own right.Â
At the piano for the world premiere will be Joyce Yang. Yang first came to international prominence in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The next season, she made her New York Philharmonic debut. Today, she is hailed for her “poetic and sensitive pianism” (The Washington Post) and “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice).Â
The Full Program
The program on October 10th will mark the first time since January 2020 that the BSO has played for live audiences, and the first time since November 2019 that the full forces of the orchestra have been assembled together on stage. To herald the occasion, Richman has selected celebratory works that showcase the full orchestra, in particular Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.Â
The concert will open with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, first premiered in 1943 during the height of World War II, and also includes Rossini’s Overture to William Tell, a work significant in BSO history, as it was programmed on the orchestra’s inaugural concert almost exactly 125 years ago on November 2, 1896.
Health and Safety Protocols
In response to local conditions, and with consideration for the health and safety of its audience members, performers, and staff, the BSO is instituting multiple precautions for its fall 2021 performances. All audience members must:
- Provide proof that they are fully vaccinated with an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine, OR;
- Provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test conducted within 72 hours of the performance start time or a negative COVID-19 rapid (antigen) test within 12 hours of the performance start time. This includes children under 12 who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
- Present valid ID alongside above proof of vaccination or negative test.
- Wear masks at all times when inside the Collins Center for the Arts.
- Stay home if experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are a known close contact to a positive case.
Full details can be found at bangorsymphony.org/safety. Any ticket holder unable to attend in person will have digital access to view the concert online starting October 12th, or may seek a ticket exchange or refund. The above policies will be in effect until November 30th, with any changes for future performances to be announced then.
Ticketing Options
Tickets are now available at bangorsymphony.org, by phone at 1-800-622-TIXX, or in person at the Collins Center for the Arts Box Office. Single tickets start at $15 per person plus fees, and all in-person tickets include digital access to the concert as well.Â
Digital-only passes can be purchased at watch.bangorsymphony.org for $40 per household.
More Information
Additional information can be found at bangorsymphony.org. Specific information about Reinaldo Moya’s composer residency with the BSO can be found at bangorsymphony.org/moya. High-resolution images for publication are available for download at https://bit.ly/2122files
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