PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The Brown University Orchestra and Chorus, together with the Providence College Festival Chorus, will perform a gala concert, Beethoven’s 9th: A Joyful Tribute to President Ruth Simmons, on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at 8 p.m. at the Vets, Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. The public is invited to attend.
A chorus of 150 singers from Brown and Providence College will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Brown University Orchestra under the direction of its music director, Paul Phillips. The vocal soloists will be Jane Shivick, soprano; Alexandra Dietrich, mezzo-soprano; Jeffrey Hartman, tenor; and Craig Verm, baritone.
“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is a landmark composition for chorus and orchestra that powerfully projects a vision of humanity unified and uplifted through the power of the music,” said James Baker, chair of the Department of Music. “The soaring idealism of the Beethoven is perfectly suited to a celebration of President Simmons’s contributions to Brown, including her steadfast support for the arts and humanities. Our concert provides a unique opportunity for people across the campus and community to come together to express appreciation for President Simmons and to experience a live performance of a truly great musical composition.”
The program will open with the overture to La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi, performed by the orchestra, followed by motets by Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms’s Fest- und Gedenksprüche, conducted by Frederick Jodry, director of choral activities at Brown, and T.J. Harper, director of choral activities at Providence College. David Josephson, professor of music at Brown, will deliver a pre-concert lecture on Beethoven beginning at 7 p.m. (The Verdi is a change from the program as originally announced.)
Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students. In addition, a limited number of $100 premium seats will be available as a benefit for Community MusicWorks and will include a post-concert champagne toast with President Simmons.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.thevetsri.com or by phone at 401-421-ARTS. The VETS Box Office, located at Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Vets on-site box office will be open on the day of the event.
The concert is supported in part by the Sara and Robert A. Reichley Concert Fund. For more information, visit brown.edu/Departments/Music/tribute.html.