Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra

SMSO: Symphonic Stories

Featuring Timothy Verville, Music Director Finalist and Evgenia Pirshina, contralto

The SMSO presents an afternoon of stories brought to life by great music. Engelbert Humperdinck's Overture to "Hansel and Gretel" opens this symphonic storybook with a familiar fable. Russian-American contralto Evgenia Pirshina joins the SMSO performing a selection of songs by Gustav Mahler. Known for primarily creating massive orchestral works, Mahler asserts his compositional prowess by melding short stories with beautifully crafted music. The final chapter of this literary journey concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Using several tales from the famous 1,001 Arabian Nights, and featuring SMSO concertmaster Whun Kim, this dazzling display of orchestral fireworks is not to be missed.

PROGRAM

Engelbert Humperdinck, Overture to "Hänsel und Gretel"
Gustav Mahler, "Five Selected Songs"

"Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen"
"Rheinlegendchen"
"Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?"
"Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen"
"Urlicht, from Symphony No. 2"

Evgenia Pirshina, contralto

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, "Scheherazade Op.35"

About the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra

The Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of our community since 1951, known for presenting innovative programming. The SMSO is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization that relies on private support and volunteers to fund and maintain its array of musical, educational and community programs.

Find the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra online at:

Facebook: @SMSOrchestra

Instagram: @thesmso

Twitter: @SWMichiganSymph

Website: www.smso.org