Hickory – Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: LANDSCAPES season finale concert featuring two world premieres by American composers and works inspired by regional landscapes on Thursday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory.
The WPS season finale features not one, but two world premiere works, both inspired by an American setting. Kachina, a concerto for bassoon and orchestra composed and performed by Amber Ferenz, is about the land, spirits, and mythical figures of the Diné and Hopi peoples of Southwestern North America. The bassoon is at once and observer and participant, providing songs and commentary. Kachinas are paradoxically spirits and physical beings who bring blessings. Appalachian Vistas, a WPS commission for orchestra, is a piece composed by Daniel Perttu that conveys the spirit of the Appalachian landscape blended with the songs of the region’s rich folk music traditions into a melodic, harmonic tone poem. The magnificence of the Southwest landscape is portrayed in the Western Piedmont Symphony’s concert finale of the season. Conductor Matthew Troy leads the orchestra in Ferde Grofe’s cinematic Grand Canyon Suite, which offers five musical scenes of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
“LANDSCAPES will be a thrilling close to our 59th season featuring two world premieres that illustrate the majestic qualities of our land and people,” noted WPS music director Matthew Troy. “The symphony will also perform the sweeping and picturesque “Grand Canyon Suite” by Ferde Grofé, which captures the magic, mystery, and beauty of the American West,” added Troy.
Western Piedmont Symphony’s MASTERWORKS: LANDSCAPES is sponsored by the Kenneth K. Millholland and Suzanne G. Millholland Endowment Fund, Becky Ferrell, and Ann and John Hall, and with generous support from the United Arts Council of Catawba County and the North Carolina Arts Council.
MASTERWORKS tickets are $20, $30, $40, and $50, with $10 tickets available for students with valid ID. Purchase by visiting wpsymphony.org/tickets, call 828.324.8603, or visit the WPS Box Office, located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon. – Fri. Concert venue is P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the Lenoir-Rhyne University campus, 775 6th St NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.
Western Piedmont Symphony’s 2023-2024 season – MUSIC FOR YOU – expresses human stories and connections evident in each of the works or composers represented. The 59th season concludes with three free pop-up events, WPS Uncorked with the WPS Maestro’s Quartet, on Thursday, May 30, and June 13, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hickory Wine Shoppe in downtown Hickory. These free, fun events are made possible by a Spark the Arts grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony 2023-2024 season of concerts and events, visit wpsymphony.org.
About Western Piedmont Symphony: Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, based in Hickory. For 59 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and unique Foothills Pops series, varying ensembles in the Crossroads series, family-friendly Discovery concerts, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
Amber Ferenz and bassoon
