Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream • NOI Philharmonic
Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream • NOI Philharmonic
ABOUT THE EVENT
A night of musical wonder awaits as NOI+F welcomes back conductor Andrew Grams for a program packed with Shakespearean fantasy and magical flights of fancy. We begin with a puckish and boisterous orchestral work by the postmodern Russian composer Alfred Schnittke, satirically titled (K)ein Sommernachtstraum or "(Not) a Midsummer Night's Dream." Next we visit the enchanted world of French composer Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer's Apprentice, immortalized by the famed Mickey Mouse vignette in Disney's Fantasia. After intermission, the dream becomes a reality for the premiere of a remarkable partnership between NOI+F and the Helen Hayes Award-winning director Mary Hall Surface for a dramatic rendition of Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare's classic comedy leaps to life with actors performing the work alongside Mendelssohn's beloved tunes. The acclaimed cast includes Tonya Beckman (Helena/Titania), Gerrad Taylor (Puck/Demetrius/Bottom), Ryan Sellers (Lysander/Oberon) and Jenna Berk (Hermia/First Fairy). The evening culminates with a full performance of the famed Wedding March, presented with guest vocal accompaniment from members of Wolf Trap Opera.
PROGRAM
Schnittke: (K)ein Sommernachtstraum
Dukas: L’apprenti sorcier
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
FUNDING
The National Orchestral Institute + Festival is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation and the Nicolae Bretan Music Foundation.
ABOUT NOI+F
This event is part of Clarice Presents' National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F). NOI+F brings together aspiring orchestral musicians from across the country for a month of dynamic music-making and professional exploration. Chosen through a rigorous, cross-country audition process, these young artists present passionate and thrilling performances of adventurous repertoire at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (The Clarice).
Internationally recognized conducting luminary Marin Alsop was appointed first-ever music director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival in 2020. As music director, Alsop leads the NOI+F Conducting Academy and conducts multiple concerts at The Clarice each June.
NOI+F entered into a partnership with Naxos Records that has already produced six albums, including a GRAMMY nomination in the category of “Best Orchestral Performance” in 2018.