This concert is sponsored by:
FEATURED ARTISTS
Domonique Launey, piano
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Elizabeth Loparits, piano
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Saturday, May 7, 2022
7:30 PM • Wilson Center
Tickets starting at $25.
7:30 PM • Wilson Center
Tickets starting at $25.
Steven Errante, conductor
Featuring the World Premiere of Azalea Suite!
Steven Errante's 35th Season with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra concludes with a world premeire of his newly commissioned work Azalea Suite! This concert will also feature Tchaikovsky’s heart-on-the-sleeve take on unrequited love, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and duo-pianists Domonique Launey and Elizabeth Loparits playing Francis Poulenc’s elegant and witty Concerto for Two Pianos.
Featuring the World Premiere of Azalea Suite!
Steven Errante's 35th Season with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra concludes with a world premeire of his newly commissioned work Azalea Suite! This concert will also feature Tchaikovsky’s heart-on-the-sleeve take on unrequited love, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and duo-pianists Domonique Launey and Elizabeth Loparits playing Francis Poulenc’s elegant and witty Concerto for Two Pianos.
AZALEA SUITE
From Steven Errante: Since the work was commissioned by the North Carolina Azalea Festival, it seemed a natural thing for me to write a multi-movement piece representing the character of a number of azalea varieties. I perched color photographs of the chosen blooms on my music rack and decided on an adjective describing each (these are parenthetically listed in the program next to each movement title). The final movement is inspired by walking into an azalea garden, where the profusion and variety of color can be breathtaking, but this musical garden consists of a collage of themes from the previous movements.
The five movements are as follows:
From Steven Errante: Since the work was commissioned by the North Carolina Azalea Festival, it seemed a natural thing for me to write a multi-movement piece representing the character of a number of azalea varieties. I perched color photographs of the chosen blooms on my music rack and decided on an adjective describing each (these are parenthetically listed in the program next to each movement title). The final movement is inspired by walking into an azalea garden, where the profusion and variety of color can be breathtaking, but this musical garden consists of a collage of themes from the previous movements.
The five movements are as follows:
- Introduction: Flame (brassy)
- Fugue: Formosa (joyful)
- Aria and Dance: Kurume (lyrical) and Coastal (delicate)
- Interlude: Satsuki (restrained)
- Finale: The Azalea Garden (brilliant)
Azalea Suite is commissioned by the North Carolina Azalea Festival
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
At an early age Steven Errante began arranging, composing and conducting for various musical groups in the Detroit area where he grew up. By the time he graduated from high school, his music was being performed by leading orchestras and musicians.
At college, he studied composition and conducting at the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School, studying with Leslie Bassett, Vincent Persichetti, and Uri Mayer. During this time, he wrote the score for The Boar's Head Festival, a work heard annually in Detroit since 1972.
Steven Errante has been Conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and a member of the UNCW Department of Music faculty since 1986. He is also founding conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra and accompanist for the Girls’ Choir of Wilmington. Dr. Errante has degrees from the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School and has previously taught at the University of Michigan, Northern Michigan University, and the University of Richmond. He has also been active as a composer and arranger, his Battleship North Carolina March has been performed throughout the region by the North Carolina Symphony, and many of the guest artists performing jazz and popular music with the Wilmington Symphony have been backed up by his arrangements.
Steven Errante has a special gift for making music an exciting adventure, whether it is through his teaching, conducting, or composing. Those who have experienced his genuine warmth and intense enthusiasm for music may attest to the deeper understanding and heightened emotional experiences they have discovered under his musical direction and in his compositions.
At an early age Steven Errante began arranging, composing and conducting for various musical groups in the Detroit area where he grew up. By the time he graduated from high school, his music was being performed by leading orchestras and musicians.
At college, he studied composition and conducting at the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School, studying with Leslie Bassett, Vincent Persichetti, and Uri Mayer. During this time, he wrote the score for The Boar's Head Festival, a work heard annually in Detroit since 1972.
Steven Errante has been Conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and a member of the UNCW Department of Music faculty since 1986. He is also founding conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra and accompanist for the Girls’ Choir of Wilmington. Dr. Errante has degrees from the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School and has previously taught at the University of Michigan, Northern Michigan University, and the University of Richmond. He has also been active as a composer and arranger, his Battleship North Carolina March has been performed throughout the region by the North Carolina Symphony, and many of the guest artists performing jazz and popular music with the Wilmington Symphony have been backed up by his arrangements.
Steven Errante has a special gift for making music an exciting adventure, whether it is through his teaching, conducting, or composing. Those who have experienced his genuine warmth and intense enthusiasm for music may attest to the deeper understanding and heightened emotional experiences they have discovered under his musical direction and in his compositions.
Guest Artists
DOMONIQUE LAUNEY
Domonique Launey, a native of Baton Rouge, LA, began her piano studies there with Phillip Martina, theory, composition studies with John Salinger, and Claire Topper in Jamaica.
She has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Jamaica as soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator. As featured soloist, she has performed with orchestras including the Wilmington Symphony (NC), Houston Chamber, San Antonio, Oklahoma, Tulare, Shreveport, L’Orchestra de Chapelle Minimes (Brussels), Tallis Chamber, University of Texas performing concerti of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart, J.S. Bach. With great pleasure she collaborated with conductor Steven Errante and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra performing Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto in 2014 as well as the composer’s 2nd in 2006.
She will be always grateful for the extensive study with David Renner, Nancy Garrett, and Anton Nel at the University of Texas, Austin where she received her BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance. Her studies with these mentors as well as Dr. Lethco and Dr. Hilley have inspired her to remain involved in helping pianists of all levels individually as well as master classes. Coaching soloists and chamber ensembles has remained her passion and she has enjoyed working with music majors in Texas and North Carolina. She is an active member of the CFMTA, NCMTA, NMTA.
Some of her awards include First Place in the Wideman International Piano Competition, First Place in the University of Texas Concerto competition, and performed in the Van Cliburn Competition. Following a year of performing concert tours in Europe as a Rotary International Scholar and studying with Nadine Deletaille, she returned to Brussels where she was awarded the Gold Medallion for excellence in solo performance.
In addition to her solo, duo and chamber concerts, Ms. Launey also enjoys collaborating with one of her three daughters, Molly Hines, violinist, as well as her husband Dr. Jonathan Hines.
Domonique Launey, a native of Baton Rouge, LA, began her piano studies there with Phillip Martina, theory, composition studies with John Salinger, and Claire Topper in Jamaica.
She has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Jamaica as soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator. As featured soloist, she has performed with orchestras including the Wilmington Symphony (NC), Houston Chamber, San Antonio, Oklahoma, Tulare, Shreveport, L’Orchestra de Chapelle Minimes (Brussels), Tallis Chamber, University of Texas performing concerti of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart, J.S. Bach. With great pleasure she collaborated with conductor Steven Errante and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra performing Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto in 2014 as well as the composer’s 2nd in 2006.
She will be always grateful for the extensive study with David Renner, Nancy Garrett, and Anton Nel at the University of Texas, Austin where she received her BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance. Her studies with these mentors as well as Dr. Lethco and Dr. Hilley have inspired her to remain involved in helping pianists of all levels individually as well as master classes. Coaching soloists and chamber ensembles has remained her passion and she has enjoyed working with music majors in Texas and North Carolina. She is an active member of the CFMTA, NCMTA, NMTA.
Some of her awards include First Place in the Wideman International Piano Competition, First Place in the University of Texas Concerto competition, and performed in the Van Cliburn Competition. Following a year of performing concert tours in Europe as a Rotary International Scholar and studying with Nadine Deletaille, she returned to Brussels where she was awarded the Gold Medallion for excellence in solo performance.
In addition to her solo, duo and chamber concerts, Ms. Launey also enjoys collaborating with one of her three daughters, Molly Hines, violinist, as well as her husband Dr. Jonathan Hines.
ELIZABETH LOPARITS
Elizabeth Loparits is an active performer and educator, serving as vocal and instrumental collaborative pianist and as piano instructor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Loparits has performed solo and duo-piano recitals in Hungary, Costa Rica, and the United States, including recent appearances at UNCW’s Piano Masterworks Series, Lumina Festival, New Music Festival, UNCW Presents, Opera Wilmington Symposium, UNCG's Focus on Piano Literature, and with the Wilmington Symphony. As instrumental collaborator, her guest appearances include Indiana University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Miami, Chicago College of Performing Arts, the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, and the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition. She performed the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s Tantrum (2002); Meira Warshauer’s Ocean Calling III (2014), and the North Carolina premiere of Ocean Calling I-II (2013). Top prizes include the National Bartók Piano Competition in Hungary, the Kodaly-Bartók Chamber Music Competition, and the North Carolina Symphony/UNCG concerto competition.
Loparits has spent two summers as a young artist at Opera North, and currently is a coach/accompanist at Opera Wilmington, serving their outreach events, concerts, and summer productions.
Elizabeth Loparits is an active performer and educator, serving as vocal and instrumental collaborative pianist and as piano instructor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Loparits has performed solo and duo-piano recitals in Hungary, Costa Rica, and the United States, including recent appearances at UNCW’s Piano Masterworks Series, Lumina Festival, New Music Festival, UNCW Presents, Opera Wilmington Symposium, UNCG's Focus on Piano Literature, and with the Wilmington Symphony. As instrumental collaborator, her guest appearances include Indiana University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Miami, Chicago College of Performing Arts, the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, and the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition. She performed the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s Tantrum (2002); Meira Warshauer’s Ocean Calling III (2014), and the North Carolina premiere of Ocean Calling I-II (2013). Top prizes include the National Bartók Piano Competition in Hungary, the Kodaly-Bartók Chamber Music Competition, and the North Carolina Symphony/UNCG concerto competition.
Loparits has spent two summers as a young artist at Opera North, and currently is a coach/accompanist at Opera Wilmington, serving their outreach events, concerts, and summer productions.
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2021/2022 Premiere Season Sponsors
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