Southeast Missouri Symphony season opens with violinist Cho-Liang Lin: What you need to know

Southeast Missouri Symphony’s gala season opening concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday will highlight the talents of visiting violinist Cho-Liang Lin and 60 Southeast Missouri State University students throughout the course of three main works: Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto,” Jean Sibelius’ “Karelia Suite” and Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.”

We talked with Southeast professor of music and conductor Sara Edgerton to find out what attendees — veterans and first timers — need to know about the performance at the River Campus Bedell Performance Hall.

“I think anyone coming to this concert, it’s really approachable, beautiful music,” Edgerton said of the hour-and-a-half “one time only” concert.

Sara Edgerton, shown conducting rehearsals for the 2013 Symphonic Spectacular, will be among the conductors for the “Harmonie” Mass on Tuesday.Southeast Missourian file

Tickets may be purchased online at www.rivercampus.org.

Violinist Cho-Liang Lin

Cho-Liang Li has performed with symphony orchestras and at concert venues across the world. His recordings have earned him Grammy nominations, Gramophone of the Year awards and Penguin Rosette awards. When not performing, he spends his time as an artist/teacher and serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School of Music in New York and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston.

This won’t be the first time Cho-Liang Li has visited the River Campus. “He’s known about our program here for a number of years, has visited once and then the opportunity came to bring him back as our featured soloist,” Edgerton said.

A full stage

Edgerton said the program will open with two standard symphony works: Sibelius’ “Karelia Suite” and Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.” Since Schubert died at a young age, she said, “Unfinished Symphony” was never finished after he completed two previous movements. She described the suite by Sibelius as “two lively marches” accompanied by “a beautiful slow movement.” But the pinnacle of the night will be Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto,” featuring Cho-Liang Li. Tchaikovsky is known for writing “The Nutcracker Ballet” and “Swan Lake.” “And this is in that category,” she said. “It’s one of the most famous concertos for violin and orchestra. ... There’s so much going on (on stage), I think it’s quite captivating for even younger children to come to the concert.”

What to wear

There’s no need to wear a tuxedo, she said of the “come as you are” performance. “We really try to reach out to the audience, but we also want to make it a very special night for everyone. We try to make sure everyone feels very comfortable.” And that also was the mindset of the composers, Edgerton said. “They were writing it for every person, for their community.

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