Hickory – Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: ORCHESTRAL BLOCKBUSTERS featuring the music of Quinn Mason, Georges Bizet, and Ludwig van Beethoven on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory.
Led by Maestro Matthew Troy, the Western Piedmont Symphony will perform some of the most beloved music of the classical repertoire, including the dynamic marches and arias of Bizet’s passionate opera in the “Carmen Suites No. 1 & 2” (excerpts)” and the rhythmic, powerful “Symphony No. 7 in A major” by Beethoven. The evening opens with “Toast of the Town-Overture” by young award-winning composer Quinn Mason.
Composer Quinn Mason will be in residency November 17-19, attending orchestral rehearsals to guide and offer insight on his composition, as well as a meet-the-composer opportunity with regional music students on Nov. 18. Mason will also join Maestro Troy for an audience conversation immediately following the Masterworks concert on November 19. Quinn Mason (b. 1996), a composer and conductor based in Dallas, has been described as “a brilliant composer just barely in his 20s who seems to make waves wherever he goes.” (Theater Jones) and “One of the most sought after young composers in the country” (Texas Monthly). He recently served as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Roots composer in residence for 2022 (the youngest composer to serve in that role). A multiple prize winner in composition, he has received numerous awards and honors from such organizations as the American Composers Forum, Voices of Change, ASCAP, the Dallas Foundation, Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, National Flute Association, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, to name a few.
Western Piedmont Symphony MASTERWORKS: ORCHESTRAL BLOCKBUSTERS is sponsored by Vanguard Furniture and Website.Builders, with generous support from the United Arts Council of Catawba County and North Carolina Arts Council.
Western Piedmont Symphony’s 2022-2023 season – Experience the Music. Hear Your Story – expresses human stories and connections evident in each of the works or composers represented. The 58th season continues with the family-favorite Foothills Pops: Holiday Spectacular at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir on December 2 and more concerts return to the stage in February 2023. For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony 2022-2023 season of concerts and events, visit wpsymphony.org.
Masterworks tickets are $25-45; students $5 (17 & under or w/valid student 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 2:00 p.m. Mon. – Fri. The P.E. Monroe Auditorium is located on the campus of Lenoir Rhyne-University at 775 6th St. NE, Hickory, NC 28601. Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.
