Press Release
September 14, 2009
Orchestra Nova Brings Audience Members to Their Feet at Season Opener
The newly re-named Orchestra Nova San Diego (formerly the San Diego Chamber Orchestra), under the leadership of Maestro Jung-Ho Pak, kicked off its 2009-2010 season Friday night at St. Paul’s Cathedral with a performance highlighting The Many Faces of Mozart that brought the nearly sold-out audience to its feet with an enthusiastic standing ovation after the last note ended.
Joined by Orchestra Nova’s principal guest artist, the talented and energetic violinist Lindsay Deutsch for Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and by four Classical dancers who demonstrated Classical era dancing for the orchestra’s performance of Mozart’s Three German Dances, the concert experience exemplified Maestro Pak’s and the orchestra’s mission of bringing the beauty and joy of classical music to a new generation through creative programming, education and high-quality musicianship. The program ended with the universal favorite Symphony No. 40.
Expressing their delight with the evening, season subscribers Patricia and Richard Schonfeld said, "It has been delightful to see Orchestra Nova blossom under the leadership of maestro Pak. We love the accessibility of the musicians and the opportunity to know who they are. The Violin Concerto No. 3 charmed us completely, and we really liked the program’s surprise of the evening: the costumed dancers that appeared for Mozart’s German Dances."
Honoring educators and students throughout San Diego by offering $10 tickets to all three venues of this opening series of concerts paid off for the orchestra as the audience was filled with students and educators. Student tickets will remain at $10 for all of the orchestra’s Classics Series concerts this season.
First-time guest of the orchestra, J. Craig Johnson, assistant professor of music at Point Loma Nazarine University, said, "It's so good to see professional musicians who love what they're doing. There's something about being in an intimate venue with that kind of music-making that electrifies the spirit and nourishes the soul. Orchestra Nova provided that experience for me on Friday evening - an experience that was long overdue from a professional ensemble. I have become an instant fan of Maestro Pak and Orchestra Nova. Every single element surrounding the event was exceedingly personal, professional, and inspired. Bravi Tutti!”
Maia Bondy, a sophomore in Business Administration major from Boston, enthused, “Orchestra Nova was like nothing I have ever seen before: elegant, entertaining and delightful, to say the least. Typically, when I hear the word ‘orchestra’, I do not imagine something nearly as entertaining. Maestro Pak added a whole new light to these works while keeping the audience interested and entertained.”
Choreographers for the Three German Dances were Bonnie Johnston and Liz Shipman. Performing the dances in costumes on loan from The Old Globe were David Diaz, Kelsey Dye, Stefan Wendel and Piper Dye.
The orchestra will perform the same concert on Monday, September 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sherwood Auditorium in la Jolla and on Saturday, September 19, at 8:00 p.m. at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall in Sorrento Valley.
To purchase tickets: 858-350-0290 or www.orchestranova.org
Special “Back to School” Promotion of $10 tickets for educators and support staff – call 858-350-0290 and tell them the name of your school. All student tickets are $10
