Listen to the music of Beethoven this weekend as the Colorado Springs Philharmonic presents one of his most famous works — his “Pastoral” symphony.
Guest conductor Carolyn Kuan will lead the philharmonic through three unique pieces, concluding with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral.” The pieces selected by Kuan and the philharmonic each have a thematic connection to nature — perfect for a Colorado Springs audience.
“This is the one that seemed to make sense — Colorado Springs is a place where people seem to really appreciate the outdoor that environment,” she said.
Masayo Ishigure will perform with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic as a guest musician playing the koto for the philharmonic’s performance this weekend. Ishigure will be part of the performance of Yugo Kanno’s “Revive.”
“Very much what drives me is this desire to want to make a difference. I joke that if I didn’t end up as a musician, I probably would have been in forestry or environmental conservation, and so whenever I can, I love to combine my two passions.”
The program will start with Mason Bates’ “Alternative Energy,” a symphony that will feature electronic sound. The piece begins with the sound of tinkering, inspired by a mechanical yard, and moves to more futuristic noises inspired by the idea of Earth 20 to 30 years from now, Kuan said.
“Composer Mason Bates includes various car parts, so from my understanding the percussionist has tried to look for various car parts to satisfy the various sounds,” she said. “It’s a very interesting piece, both in the sound world but also sort of the idea behind it.”
Then the orchestra will perform Yugo Kanno’s “Revive”, which will feature guest muscians Masayo Ishigure, who will play the koto, and Zac Zinger, who will play the shakuhachi. Japanese in origin, the koto is a string instrument and the shakuhachi is a wind instrument.
Zac Zinger will perform with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic as a guest musician playing the shakuhachi for the philharmonic’s performance this weekend. There, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic will present one of Beethoven’s most famous works — his Pastoral Symphony.
“It was written after a tsunami or a natural disaster, and its sort of celebrating the human spirit and people coming together with nature,” Kuan said. “It again has our relationship with the world we live in.”
The concert will finish with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral,” a piece likely known by the audience, Kuan said.
“There’s something about listening to Beethoven’s music that is just pure joy,” she said. “Beethoven especially, it’s one of those pieces when you get to the last movement it’s joyful, it makes you appreciate life.”
The combination of the three works is something that everyone can enjoy, Kuan said. “I actually think that the three pieces together. It’s going to be a really unique and special experience for both symphony lovers as well as people who have never been to a symphony,” she said.
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