Press Release
February 25, 2009
Master of Romance: A Mendelssohn Celebration
San Diego Chamber Orchestra with the San Diego Master Chorale Women's Chorus - and Jay Oh
The absolute best of Felix Mendelssohn will be presented by the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Master Chorale Women’s Chorus, and violinist Jay Oh on March 6, 9 and 10:
- a dramatic presentation of his gorgeous music for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream,with actors and the San Diego Master Chorale’s women’s chorus
- his beloved Violin Concerto with violinist Jay Oh, a former child prodigy
- an overture about the rugged Scottish coastline, Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave)
The gifted Mendelssohn, a brilliant pianist at the age of nine, was born two hundred years ago into a loving and wealthy family of intellectuals who loved the arts. He found success as a composer very early in life, writing his Octet for Strings in E flat major at the age of 16, but he was also a fine horseman, a great swimmer, a chess master, a skilled artist, an international traveler and a speaker of several languages. He was, by all accounts, happily married and a loving father of five. He had it all! However, constant travel and work sapped his strength and he died of a stroke when he was only 38 years old.
He was a romantic whose music was rooted in classicism. A prolific composer, it is estimated that only one-third of his 750 works have been published. This performance of three of his works will explore his ability to combine Classical and Romantic elements into some of the most beautiful music ever composed.
The Orchestra, with the leadership of artistic director and conductor Jung-Ho Pak, is in the midst of one of its best-selling seasons ever, with nearly every concert sold-out downtown at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a significant increase in ticket sales at La Jolla, resulting in full houses there.
Guest artist Joo Young Oh (also known as Jay Oh) began earning worldwide recognition in 1996, at the age of 14, when he won the Young Concert Artists International Competition, held in New York. When world-famous conductor Zubin Mehta heard him play, he said, “He has something special and his future is full of brightness.” Oh began playing at the age of five in Korea and moved to the United States in 1994 to continue his studies. He has performed throughout the world and is currently a student at the Juilliard School of Music.
The world-renowned San Diego Master Chorale is entering its 48th season, originally founded as the choral arm of the San Diego Symphony. The Chorale, composed of 120 of San Diego’s finest singers, has made a number of tours throughout Europe, but also actively participates in many community events. For this performance, the women’s chorus of the Chorale will perform Mendelssohn’s beautiful A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The concerts will be performed at:
St. Paul’s Cathedral, Downtown, Friday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.
Sherwood Auditorium, La Jolla, Monday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.
Del Mar Country Club, Rancho Santa Fe, March 10, 7:30 p.m. (wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m.)
Tickets: 858-350-0290 or www.sdco.org. For more concert details, www.sdco.org. Photos available.
Tickets are also now available for The Magic of Music gala, a fun-filled evening of entertainment, dinner, dancing, and an auction with Kimberly King, Mistress of Ceremonies, and The Heroes band, all in support of the Orchestra’s music education programs and extraordinary music experiences. March 28, 6:00 p.m. Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa.
