Eugene Symphony presents Dvořák’s“New World Symphony” on March 17, 2022

The concert at the Hult Center includes the West Coast premiere of guest conductor Carlos Izcaray’s Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey and a performance by guest pianist Soyeon Kate Lee

EUGENE, OR (February 24, 2022)— Honoring the ways music connects us globally, Eugene Symphony Association (ESA) presents New World Symphony on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at 7:30 pm at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Venezuelan-born guest conductor Carlos Izcaray will lead the orchestra in a program which includes the West Coast premiere of a new composition he wrote just for the occasion. Pianist Soyeon Kate Lee will also perform Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 before the evening ends with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”.

The concert opens with Maestro Izcaray’s Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey, which Izcaray, who has emigrated four times in his life, has used to tell part of his and others’ stories as emigrants, the role of immigrants in the history of the world, how unique each journey is, and the “magical moment we all feel when arriving at a new land,” he says.

“My piece is structured as a journey from darkness to light, from one single note to a full multilayered harmonic sound world that could be viewed as representing our plural contemporary society,” Izcaray says. “An Immigrant’s Journey is also a love letter to the orchestra, a migrating entity itself, and in my case a vessel that has taken me on a wild ride across five continents. I unleash the full array of beauty that can only be achieved by a high-skilled ensemble, such as the Eugene Symphony, with special focus on the idiomatic aspects of each instrument.”

For Chopin’s distinctive and beautiful Piano Concerto No. 2, Eugene Symphony welcomes guest pianist Soyeon Kate Lee to the stage. Earlier in the week, Ms. Lee, who last appeared with ESA in March 2017, will also lead a piano master class for three local piano students as part of the Laura Avery Visiting Masters Series on Wednesday, March 16, at 3:30 pm, at The Studio at the Hult Center, which is free to attend and open to the public.

Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, which celebrates the diverse cultures the composer discovered during a two-year stay in America, ends the evening as the perfect capstone to this concert that celebrates our worldwide appreciation for music. 

March 17, 2022—New World Symphony

• 7:30 pm
• Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts
• Prices: prices range from $10-$68
• Carlos Izcaray, conductor
• Soyeon Kate Lee, piano*
• Carlos Izcaray: Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey
• *Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

Concert Week Events:

• Symphony Happy Hour with Carlos Izcaray: Monday, March 14, 2022, 5:00 pm, at The Jazz Station, 124 W Broadway, Eugene. A casual presentation that includes musical excerpts and highlights of the March 17 concert. Admission is free, but RSVP is required.
• Piano Master Class with Soyeon Kate Lee: Wednesday, March 16, 3:30 pm, in The Studio at the Hult Center. This event is free and open to the public.
• Ticketed Dress Rehearsal, New World Symphony: Wednesday, March 16, 7:30 pm, the Hult Center. As the final rehearsal in the preparation process, all works will be performed in order and the conductor may return to refine certain sections of the music. Tickets $10-$62.
• Eugene Symphony Guild Pre-Concert Talk: Thursday, March 17, 6:30 pm, in Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center, with guest conductor Carlos Izcaray and guest pianist Soyeon Kate Lee.

Tickets: Partial-season subscriptions, as well as single tickets, are available now. Ticketed dress rehearsals with limited capacity and physically distanced seating are available for this concert on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 7:30 pm. All ticket options available at eugenesymphony.org or the Hult Center Ticket Office 541-682-5000

About Carlos Izcaray

Carlos Izcaray is Music Director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (since 2015) and of the American Youth Symphony (since 2016). He has been widely praised for his contributions to the development of both organizations and for his leadership of both throughout the pandemic. Described by the international press as inspiring, spirited, and conducting with nuanced sensitivity, he has appeared with numerous ensembles across five continents and is now firmly established as one of the most highly regarded conductors of his generation. Throughout his career, Izcaray has shown special interest and prowess in tackling some of the most complex scores in the symphonic repertoire, while also championing a historically informed approach in his interpretations.

About Soyeon Kate Lee

First prize winner of the 2010 Naumburg International Piano Competition and the 2004 Concert Artist Guild International Competition, Korean-American pianist Soyeon Kate Lee has been lauded by the New York Times as a pianist with “a huge, richly varied sound, a lively imagination and a firm sense of style,” and by the Washington Post for her “stunning command of the keyboard.” Ms. Lee is the co-founder and artistic director of Music by the Glass, a concert series dedicated to bringing together young professionals in New York City. Ms. Lee is an Associate Professor of Music in Piano at the Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. 

About Eugene Symphony

Now in its 57th season, Eugene Symphony is an 83-member part-time orchestra based in Eugene, Oregon, led by Music Director & Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong with a mission of enriching lives through the power of music. With the addition of virtual programming initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eugene Symphony reached more than 60,000 people around the world. Now back in the concert hall, Eugene Symphony presents annual classical and pops concerts, as well as music education and community engagement programs, regularly commissioning and premiering new American works, and disseminating its performances via radio broadcasts and recordings. More at eugenesymphony.org

COVID-19 Protocols

Proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, taken within 48 hours of the event, is required to enter the Hult Center until further notice. This includes all patrons, performers, staff, and volunteers. Masks are also required within the building.