Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra Presents its 8th Annual Beethoven Festival Concert

On Sunday February 5th, 2023 at 3pm, the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra presents its 8th Annual Beethoven Festival concert, with a varied program, conducted by guest conductor Andrés Rivas.

The program features Beethoven’s magnificent Third Symphony “Eroica”, a revolutionary work in its time, written at a major turning point in Beethoven’s life and career. Into this music, Beethoven poured his passion, fury and anguish as he dealt with his developing deafness, with a depth of musical expression that moves away from his roots in the classical and baroque styles and into the Romantic era.

Beethoven’s Romance no. 2 in F major for violin and orchestra is admired for its lyricism and poetic qualities, expressed through beautiful melodies in cantabile (singing) style, decorated with virtuosity in baroque turns, trills, and grace notes. YPO concertmaster, Urara Mogi is highlighted as violin soloist.

Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture “Fingal’s Cave” was inspired by the magic of Fingal’s Cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa in the North Sea, which the composer visited at the age of 20 on his first visit to Scotland. In the true Romantic sense, Mendelssohn’s inspiration became the source of his music. The cave is named after a Scottish hero in an epic poem by 18th century Scotspoet-historian James Macpherson.

Cherubini’s Concert-Overture is an exhilarating curtain-raiser, encompassing all the drama and character of his music for opera. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries, particularly in the operatic genre and this work offers an exciting opening for our program.

The concert is free and all are welcome to join us for this exciting afternoon of music.

CONCERT INFORMATION

Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra 8th Annual Beethoven Festival

Sunday February 5th, 2023 at 3pm

Saunders Trades and Technical High School, 183 Palmer Road, Yonkers NY

Admission Free

Pre-concert lecture 2:15 to 2:45, presented by Dr. Margaret Benedict

Further information:   www.yonkersphilharmonic.com

Email:                          press@yonkersphilharmonic.org

Phone:                         (571) 310-7060

About Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra

The Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Tong Chen, presents four symphonic concerts annually. The concerts are held at Saunders Trade and Technical High School on Palmer Rd. in Yonkers on Sunday afternoons: three featuring well known soloists and one featuring winners of our annual Concerto Competition. Additional free concerts have been held during the summer at the new Hudson River Museum amphitheater, Untermyer Park, Cross County Shopping Center and the Riverfront Library in Yonkers. In response to COVID-19, the YPO has also developed a series of on-line concerts under the general title of YPO@Home. The idea is to bring the music to our audience even when they can’t come to us. The Fine Arts Orchestral Society of Yonkers sponsors the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra which comprises approximately 65 musicians. All concerts are FREE and open to the public.

The Fine Arts Orchestral Society of Yonkers (FAOS) celebrated its 50th anniversary as sponsor of the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra in its 2012-2103 season. The organization sponsors FREE classical music Yonkers Philharmoic Orchestra concerts. In March 2018 the FAOS held its 40th annual Concerto Competition for Westchester County High School students. The winners received schoarships and were featured as soloists at a free Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra “Young Artists Concerto Concert” in May 2018.