The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic opens its 2005-06 season and kicks off its “206 by 2K6” fund-raising campaign in Washington on Oct. 16 at the Church of the Epiphany and in Alexandria on Oct. 23 at Bishop Ireton High School. The WMP (formerly Mount Vernon Orchestra), is an auditioned civic orchestra composed of professional and non-professional musicians that has performed in the D.C. area for over 33 years, the last 21 under the baton of Music Director Ulysses James.
The 2005-06 season promises to take audiences on “A Musical Journey Around the World” and includes concerts featuring music of England, the United States, Korea, and Scandinavia. The season opener celebrates 20th century English compositions. The program will open with Arthur Butterworth’s Romance for Horn and Strings featuring the Philharmonic’s own hornist Tara Islas followed by John Ireland’s Concerto in E Flat Major for Piano and Orchestra with pianist Stephen Bertino. The second half of the program will feature Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto for Two Violins and Strings with violinists Marc Ramirez and Olivia Hajioff, the husband and wife team that has received a Fulbright fellowship and awards from the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year, the European Violin Competition, and the Henryk Szerying Violin Competition, among others. The program will conclude with Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes” from the opera Peter Grimes.
Other season highlights include concerts featuring Bach’s Magnificat in D and Mozart’s Requiem with the NOVA Community Chorus under the direction of Dr. Mark Whitmire; 12-year old pianist Felicia “Fifi” Zhang performing Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concert No. 2; Kazik’s world premier performance of Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra, composed especially for the Philharmonic; American composer John Williams’ Five Sacred Trees with bassoonist Arnold Irchai; and vocal soloists MiYong Park and KiHoon Sung performing opera arias and two Korean folk songs.
Just as ambitious as the Philharmonic’s 2005-06 musical programming is its 206 by 2K6 fund-raising campaign, which hopes to raise a total of over $131,000 this season through a combination of corporate and individual sponsorships. The proceeds from the fund-raiser will be used to finance the organization’s artistic endeavors and community outreach activities.
<ro> About WMP
<lst>WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in 1987. The Association sponsors four major programs:
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic is an auditioned community orchestra composed of professional and non-professional musicians, and the orchestra in residence at Northern Virginia Community College's Alexandria Campus.
Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is an auditioned orchestra of some of the area's finest young musicians. It is the orchestra in residence at Episcopal High School.
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Music Concerto Competition is for young musicians, 18 years and under, who compete for scholarship awards in four divisions: piano, strings, winds and percussion. The overall winner performs with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic.
Chamber Music Series are free chamber music concerts at The Lyceum (Alexandria's History Museum) in Old Town, Alexandria, offered every Sunday afternoon from June through September.
<ro>Season Guide
<lst>MUSIC OF ENGLAND
Oct. 16, 5 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, D.C.
Oct. 23, 2005, 5 p.m.
Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria
Butterworth: Romance for Horn and String Orchestra with hornist Tara Islas
Britten: Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes
Arnold: Concerto for Two Violins and String Orchestra with violinists Marc Rameriz and Olivia Hajioff
Ireland: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with pianist Stephen Bertino
SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Dec. 4, 5 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, D.C.
Dec. 11, 2005, 5 p.m.
Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, Alexandria J.S. Bach: Magnificat in D, BWV 243 with NOVA Community Chorus, Dr. Mark Whitmire, Director
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor with WMPA Concerto Competition Winner Felicia Zhang
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Kazik: Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra (World Premier) with euphoniumist Danny Helseth.
MUSIC OF THE UNITED STATES
Feb. 12, 2006, 5 p.m.
Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria
Feb. 19, 2006, 5 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, D.C. Hovhannes: Mysterious Mountain
Williams: Five Sacred Trees with bassoonist Arnold Irchai
Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite
MOZART and MUSIC OF KOREA
April 2, 2006, 5 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, D.C.
April 9, 2006, 5 p.m.
Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, AlexandriaMozart: Requiem, K. 626 with NOVA Community Chorus, Dr. Mark Whitmire, Director
Also
Ahnn: Korean National Anthem
Opera arias and Korean folk songs featuring soprano MiYong Park and baritone KiHoon Sung
Kim: “The Flower of Our Minds”
Leoncavallo: Bird Song: “Stridono lassu” from Pagliacci
Hong: “Coming Up the Old Mountain”
Mozart: “Papagana, Papagano” (from The Magic Flute)
Verdi: “Pieta, rispetto, amore” (from Macbeth)
MUSIC OF SCANDINAVIA
June 3, 2006, 7 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, D.C.
June 4, 2006, 5 p.m.
Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria
Nielsen: Helios Overture, Op. 17 (Denmark)
Grieg: Norwegian Dances, Op. 35 (Norway)
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2, Op. 43 in D Major (Finland)