Glacier Symphony presents 'Cosmic Windows'

Glacier Symphony’s November masterworks offering will be “Cosmic Windows,” a full scale symphonic concert under the baton of Artistic Director and conductor, John Zoltek.

Two major works for orchestra will be featured; the Violin Concerto in D major by Russian composer Tchaikovsky with guest soloist, Giora Schmidt performing, and Vetrate di cheisa (Church Windows) by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. Also performed will be the always-popular William Tell Overture by Italian 18th century opera composer Rossini.

The concerts will be held at the Flathead High School Performance Hall in Kalispell, on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m.

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D is one of a handful of most popular pieces for violin soloist and orchestra. It is a standard of the repertoire because it has all the elements of a great work concert and demands deep expression and technical acuity from the soloist and attentive accompaniment by orchestra and conductor. The concerto is full of well defined themes serving as starting points for musical development.

Violin soloist from Philadelphia, Giora Schmidt is exceptional and will bring his artistry and interpretation to this masterpiece by Tchaikovsky.

Vetrate di cheisa (Church Windows) by Respighi is a magically evocative work that highlights Respighi’s amazing talent for expressing his musical vision through the well thought out orchestral sound design.

The work is in four movements and gives impressions of four scenes, The Flight Into Egypt, St. Michael Archangel, The Matins of St. Chiara and St. Gregory The Great. Each of these movements evoke an ancient or timeless musical scene in sound prompted by the composers use of chant like material.

The movement of St. Michael Archangel as Respighi depicts a great battle in the Heavens with music that is intensely vigorous and fantastic almost like a cosmic battle scene in a movie score. This will be a engaging concert for everyone as it includes popular and rare music that will highlight the symphony and soloist in energized and dramatic performance.

Giora Schmidt has appeared with many prominent symphony orchestras around the globe including Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Canada’s National Arts Centre, Toronto, Vancouver and the Israel Philharmonic. Reviewers such as the Cleveland Plain Dealer have said he is “impossible to resist, captivating with lyricism, tonal warmth, and boundless enthusiasm.”

Schmidt has collaborated with eminent musicians including Yefim Bronfman, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum and Michael Tree. Born in Philadelphia in 1983 to professional musicians from Israel, Giora began playing the violin at the age of four. Committed to education and sharing his passion for music, Giora was on the faculty of the Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program from 2005-2009. Through technology and social media he continues to find new ways of reaching young violinists and music lovers around the world. More info about the artist at www.gioraschmidt.com

Tickets for the concert are priced in four seating tiers starting at $15 for adults. Youth through grade 12 are admitted free to this Masterworks concert. Purchase tickets online at www.gscmusic.org. Tickets purchased at the GSC Box Office, 69 N. Main. St. in Kalispell are subject to a $2 handling fee. Call 406-407-7000 for more information.

Sponsoring this concert are First Montana Bank, ABC Fox, Fun Beverage, Glacier Regional Pathology, Montana Public Radio.