Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra

Mid-Atlantic Symphony to Share Holiday Joy With Festive December 3 Performance

November 18, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of sharing seasonal cheer when it presents its popular Holiday Joy program on December 3.

The 7 PM performance, at the Church of God in Easton, MD, features a selection of festive holiday music performed by the Orchestra’s strings and guest soloists including internationally celebrated violinist Virgil Boutelis-Taft, critically acclaimed soprano Alexandra Raszkazoff and up-and-coming tenor Michael Butler.

“With the ongoing pandemic changing holiday plans for so many of us, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony is pleased to continue its long-standing practice of celebrating the season with a program of traditional and contemporary holiday music,” said Music Director Julien Benichou. “Our musicians and guest artists look forward to sharing the joy of seasonal favorites and, perhaps, a few surprises.”

To enable patrons to share the popular Holiday Joy program with family and friends, gift tickets to view the livestream are available at five for $50, a savings of $25 from the individual livestream ticket price. Both in-person and virtual tickets, as well as gift tickets, include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through December 10.

In-person, livestream or gift tickets may be purchased online at the Orchestra’s website, www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, call 888-846-8600 or email info@midatlanticsymphony.org.

Virgil Boutellis-Taft, hailed by The STRAD magazine for the “jeweled sonority” of his playing, has performed as soloist and chamber musician at major international venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall. After receiving the First Prize of the Conservatoire de Paris at age 16, he continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Royal College of Music in London and Tel Aviv University.

Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “richly faceted, slinky soprano,” Alexandra Raszkazoffhas performed with opera companies and chorales around the world. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory and earned her master’s degree at The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of Toulmin Foundation Scholarship and the Novick Career Advancement Grant.

Although still a student at the University of Maryland, Michael Butler already is a sought-after artist. He won the National Young Arts Foundation Vocal Competition in 2018 and, in 2019, was selected for an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has performed with companies including the Washington Opera Society and the Washington Lyric Opera.

In addition to the December 3 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s season includes concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31.

The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

MSO Holiday Joy Gift Tickets: A Great Way to Spread Seasonal Cheer

October 24, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for an artful way to brighten the spirits of family and friends while maintaining social distance, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra has the perfect solution.

The Orchestra, which has been performing for live and virtual audiences since August, is offering gift tickets to view the livestream of its popular Holiday Joy concert at the discounted rate of five for $50. That’s a $25 savings from the regular livestream ticket price of $15 each.

The December 3 concert, beginning at 7 PM at the Church of God in Eason, MD, features a festive selection of holiday music performed by the Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Julien Benichou. The Orchestra will be joined by three guest soloists: violinist Virgil Boutelis-Taft, soprano Alexandra Raszkazoff and tenor Michael Butler.

Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Individual tickets to view the concert livestream are $15. Both in-person and virtual tickets, as well as gift tickets, include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through December 10.

To purchase in-person, livestream, or gift tickets online, go to the Orchestra’s website, www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, call 888-846-8600 or email info@midatlanticsymphony.org.

Hailed by The STRAD magazine for the “jeweled sonority” of his playing, Virgil Boutellis-Taft has performed as soloist and chamber musician at major international venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall in London. After receiving the First Prize of the Conservatoire de Paris at age 16, he continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Royal College of Music in London, and Tel Aviv University.

Alexandra Raszkazoff, acclaimed by The New York Times as a “richly faceted, slinky soprano,” has performed with opera companies and chorales around the world. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory and earned her master’s degree at The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of Toulmin Foundation Scholarship and the Novick Career Advancement Grant.

Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s November 5 Concert

October 8, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its “Season Reimagined” on November 5, performing works by celebrated European composers for both in-person and virtual audiences.

The 7:30 PM concert at the Church of God in Easton, MD, includes Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto in D Major and Concerto in G for Two Mandolins; Anton Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky; and Bela Bartok’s Divertimento for String Orchestra. Guests soloists are internationally acclaimed guitarists Thomas Viloteau and Alexandra Viloteau.

“As we continue our reimagined Season of Strings, we are pleased to present orchestral compositions and transcriptions that showcase our talented string players,” said Music Director Julien Benichou. “We also are delighted to welcome our guest artists, who will add flair to the Vivaldi concerti.”

Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Tickets to view the concert livestream are $15. Both in-person and virtual tickets include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through November 12.

The Lute Concerto in D Major, written for two violins, bass, and lute, is now most frequently played on the guitar. It exhibits a clarity of form, harmonic treatment , and rhythmic and melodic vitality – features that make Vivaldi’s music so attractive.

The Concerto in G for Two Mandolins was discovered in Turin, Italy in 1926. Like the Lute Concerto, it is often played on the guitar, with its various polyphonic segments demonstrating the technical skills of the soloists.

The Variations on a Theme is a string orchestra transcription of the slow movement of Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 2. The music is rhythmic, melodic, and very satisfying, with all instruments active continuously throughout the work.

Bartok completed the Divertimento for String Orchestra in 1939 on commission from the Basel Chamber Orchestra. The music appears to be written in the fashion of a concerto grosso, with the concertmaster, first second violin and first viola, cello and bass forming a group that often complements individually or as a whole the rest of the orchestra.

An accomplished soprano and passionate educator as well as an acclaimed guitarist, Alexandra Viloteau earned a Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma in Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University. At Peabody, she double-majored in classical guitar and classical voice, the only student in the Conservatory’s 157-year history to do so.

Thomas Viloteau has reshaped the term “classical” guitar into something new, alive, and forward-thinking. He is the only guitarist to win the Arthur Foote Award from the Harvard Musical Association, in 2016, and the following year was named Artist in Residence for the radio program Performance Today. Viloteau received his bachelor’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, his master’s from the University of Arizona and his doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. He is on the Peabody Conservatory faculty.

In-person or livestream tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, email info@midatlanticsymphony.org or call 888-846-8600.

In addition to the November 5 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s 2020-2021 season includes the popular “Holiday Joy” program on December 3, 2020, and concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31.

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Launches 2020-2021 Season

September 28, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra opened its 23^rd season on September 24, performing works by Beethoven and Grieg for an enthusiastic live audience in Easton, MD, and for virtual viewers around the nation.

Under the direction of Maestro Julien Benichou, the Orchestra welcomed a live, socially-distanced audience at the Church of God in Easton. They were joined by livestream viewers from across Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Delaware, as well as from Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas.

“We are so fortunate to be able to present live performances at a time when so many orchestras are silent and so many musicians are out of work,” said Mid-Atlantic Symphony Board Chair Jeffrey Parker. “We are grateful to Maestro Benichou, our board and staff for their tireless efforts to make this season possible.”

Maestro Benichou added: “I am so proud of our musicians and how resilient and artfully creative they are during these times of challenge, playing each and every note with heartfelt meaning.”

The 2020-2021 season opened on the originally scheduled date, but with reimagined programs featuring compositions and arrangements for string orchestras to avoid the risk of aerosol sprays from woodwind and brass instruments.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony is livestreaming this season’s concerts in addition to performing before a limited-capacity, socially-distanced live audience.

The September 24 concert began with Erotik from Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces. It was followed by guest soloist Kurt Nikkanen, the New York City Ballet Orchestra’s concertmaster, who delivered a virtuosic performance of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major and received a standing ovation. The concert concluded with Grieg’s Holberg Suite, delighting the audience with classical dances and other contemporary musical forms.

Upcoming programs in the Orchestra’s five-concert subscription series include a November 3 performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto & Double Concerto for Two Mandolins, Anton Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky and Bela Bartok’s Divertimento. The popular Holiday Joy program on December 3 features a festive selection of seasonal music, with guest soloists including soprano Alexandra Raszkazoff and tenor Michael Butler.

Subscription concerts and a special New Year’s Eve program will be performed at the Church of God in Easton, MD, with Orchestra and audience members screened and socially distanced, consistent with guidance from federal and state officials.

Individual tickets to attend single performances are $45, while supplies last. Tickets for the livestreamed performance are $15 per person. Both in-person and livestream tickets include pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou and featuring guest artists and Mid-Atlantic Symphony musicians.

Purchasers of full-season subscriptions, at $155, have the option to attend performances in person. Full-season subscribers also will have the opportunity for a private virtual chat with Maestro Benichou or a Mid-Atlantic Symphony musician of their choice.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, email info@midatlanticsymphony.org or call 888-846-8600.

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Inaugurates 2020-2021 Season with All-String Program

September 9, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will open its 23^rd season on September 24, performing works by Beethoven and Grieg at the Church of God in Easton, MD.

The 7:30 PM performance – before a live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals, will also be livestreamed, with special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Julien Benichou.

The program includes Edvard Grieg’s Erotik; Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, featuring New York City Ballet Orchestra Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen as guest soloist; and Grieg’s Holberg Suite.

“As we commemorate the 250^th anniversary of his birth, Beethoven remains a model of psychological resilience and a source of inspiration in these difficult times,” said Maestro Benichou. “We will surround the power and boldness of Beethoven’s concerto with the Nordic sweetness of Grieg.”

In Erotik, originally written for the piano and later transcribed for cello and piano, as well as for string orchestra, Grieg uses a simple four-note motif to create a mood of tranquility. The Holberg Suite also was written for piano but later transcribed by Grieg for string orchestra. Composed to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Danish writer Ludvig Holberg, the suite draws on contemporary musical forms, including classical dances.

Kurt Nikkanen

Beethoven composed the violin concerto in 1808 and 1809, as his deafness progressively worsened. A work of colossal breadth, it is a favorite of soloists, orchestras and concertgoers everywhere.

“The string orchestra arrangement of Beethoven’s violin concerto is the perfect match for Kurt Nikkanen’s incredible energy,” Maestro Benichou said. “Our audience will see and hear why Kurt is so often described as a force of nature.”

Nikkanen made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 12 and later was invited by Zubin Mehta to perform with the New York Philharmonic for a Young People’s Concert. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he has performed in Europe, Japan, the Far East and in the United States with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others.

Individual tickets to attend the performance are $45, while supplies last. Tickets for the livestreamed performance are $15 per person and include the concert as well as pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou and featuring guest artists and Mid-Atlantic Symphony musicians.

Purchasers of full-season subscriptions, at $195, have access to all of the livestream features, along with the option to attend performances in person. Full-season subscribers also will have the opportunity for a private virtual chat with Maestro Benichou or a Mid-Atlantic Symphony musician of their choice.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, email info@midatlanticsymphony.org or call 888-846-8600.

In addition to the September 24 program, the five-concert season includes performances on November 5 and December 3, 2020, and on March 4 and April 23, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31.

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Announces Reimagined Season

September 3, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will present a reimagined 2020-2021 season featuring limited audiences and ticketed livestreamed performances with special pre-and post-concert events.

The five-concert subscription series will feature works for strings and percussion. Programs previously announced for the upcoming season will be presented during 2021-2022.

“The Mid-Atlantic Symphony is committed to using the power of music to help us heal and unite as we recover from the devastating pandemic,” said Board Chair Jeffrey Parker. “Maestro Julien Benichou, our board, and staff have worked tirelessly to plan a new season of exceptional orchestral music presented in a manner that ensures the safety of our audiences and musicians. We will continue to make adjustments throughout the season to provide the best possible listening experience consistent with public health guidance.”

Reimagined programs will be presented on September 24, November 5 and December 3, 2020, and on March 4 and April 23, 2021, at the Church of God in Easton, MD. In addition, a special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31, also at the Church of God in Easton..

For the season’s opening concert on September 24 at 7:30 PM, the Orchestra will perform Edvard Grieg’s Erotik; Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, featuring New York City Ballet Orchestra Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen as guest soloist; and Grieg’s Holberg Suite.

Audiences at the Church of God will be limited to 150 persons, with entry screening and socially-distanced seating consistent with current government guidelines.

Purchasers of season subscriptions, priced at $195 per person, will be eligible to attend performances in person or may choose to view real-time livestreams. Subscribers also will have access to exclusive pre- and post-concert interactive virtual events hosted by Maestro Benichou and featuring guest soloists and orchestra members.

Tickets for the real-time livestream, including the post-concert event, are $15 per person or $75 per person for the five-concert subscription series. Each livestream will be available for viewing for one week after the original performance. Individual tickets to attend subscription concerts in person are $45 and will be available until venue capacity limits are reached.

In-person tickets for the New Year’s Eve program, which is not part of the subscription series, are $85 each or $25 for the livestream.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, email info@midatlanticsymphony.org or call 888-846-8600.

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Performs on August 15 at the Freeman Stage

August 22, 2020 by Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Leave a Comment

On August 15 the MSO in collaboration with members of the New York City Opera Company performed a concert entitled “Starry Night Classics” at 8 PM outside on the Freeman Stage in Selbyville, Delaware. Singers featured on the concert were sopranos Kristin Samson and Lisa Chavez, along with tenor Michael Butler and bass-baritone Kevin Short. The master of ceremonies for the evening was Michael Capasso, New York City Opera Company’s General Director.

The performance highlighted great arias and instrumental works from various operas. On the program was the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, and Meditation from Thais beautifully performed by virtuosic violinist Kurt Nikkanen. Lisa Chavez flawlessly performed Habanera from Carmen along with Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix from Samson and Delilah. Kristin Samson wowed the audience with her vocal capacity on Tu Che di Gel from Turandot. Young up and coming tenor Michael Butler bolstered Una Fortiva from Donizetti’s opera The Elixir of Love, and Kevin Short brought the audience to their feet in applause with his rendition of Ol’ Man River.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony is planning a reimagined season for string instruments and percussion as a result of revolving social distancing requirements for indoor orchestral performances. The Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra has also confirmed that they will live stream all performances for the upcoming season. Live-streaming our concert is among the steps taken by the MSO’s board and staff as we strive to ensure the health and safety of performers and audiences

Those interested in becoming volunteers or joining the Orchestra’s mailing list may do so at www.midatlanticsymphony.org/contact, by emailing info@midatlanticsymphony.org or by calling 888-846-8600.

The only professional symphony orchestra on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council;the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

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Spy Review: MSO Loker Concerto Competition

March 7, 2020 by Steve Parks Leave a Comment

Now it can be said that the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s first annual Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition was not only a success, it was a triumph.

The winning piece performed by University of Maryland music graduate student Joseph McNure, Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone, was astounding even when played with just piano accompaniment during January’s finals. Thursday night at the acoustically warm Easton Church of God, with the full orchestra at the baton command of Julien Benichou, the performance ranged from sublime to spectacular and back again in a three-movement sonic thrill ride. More on this concerto later.

Joseph McNure

McNure had a tough opening act to follow as Jamie Anderes, a home-schooled 11^th-grader now in her fifth year as a Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra flutist, also directed by Benichou, performed as soloist on Cecile Chaminade’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, regarded as one of the most challenging pieces for her instrument. (Jamie is also a Junior Olympic gymnast and an artist who placed in the 2019 Congressional Art Competition. Talk about a young Renaissance woman.) The concerto opens with pastoral serenity beautifully rendered by the flutist, preceding a bold orchestral statement. She concludes with songbird piercings of a soaring string finish punctuated by a smooth-landing grace note.

Sandwiched between the two soloists was Rameau’s 18^th-century Suite des Danses (from “Platee”). Danses is part of a comic opera now gathering dust. But this lively dialogue between upper and lower stringed instruments surrounding a syncopated dance interlude makes for a robust Baroque relic.

Considering the fireworks of the first half, post-intermission was a comparative letdown, though an informative one. In 1908, American composer Charles Ives endeavored to move the music world from European classical to atonal modernist all at once. “The Unanswered Question” asks whether we exist or not. It’s a question posed by Descartes, the philosopher who answered, “I think, therefore I am.” The near somnambulant strings of Ives’ piece stubbornly refuse to answer, which agitates the trumpet (Luis Engelke, hidden from view offstage), while reed instrumentalists add to the insurrection from the mezzanine. Clever, yes. But, as Benichou pointed out, Ives made his living selling insurance.

In introducing Mozart’s Symphony 33, Benichou noted that a survey of his musicians revealed only one who’d played it before. He still ranked it among Mozart’s better late symphonies. Although the orchestra played it vigorously when possible—the Andante is a dirge—it was only in the final movement that 33 came together with sharp interposes between strings and the oboe, bassoon and horn contingent. Mozart, ever in search of commercial success, failed to find one here. Yet it was among the few symphonies published before his death at 35.

Back to the sax concerto: Creston wrote all sorts of music, including for movies and TV. His alto-sax standard reflects some of those influences. McNure seemed to both absorb and reflect such nuances in his debut performance. The first movement, “Energetic,” is aptly titled, as are the other two. McNure’s playing brought to mind a smoky basement nightclub, far from the ecclesiastical setting. I could picture him as a jazz player in a 1950s black-and-white flick ending in a cops-and-gangster car chase set to NcNure’s lightning-fingered pace. An ominous string-and-timpani interlude leads to a sax introduction for the next “Meditative” movement with notes held longer than you thought possible, then rising to a burst of reflective self-awareness. Athletic chops are required for the “Rhythmic” finale—a relentless display of serial sax techniques with the orchestra obliging as second-fiddle.

A well-earned standing ovation ensued.

To promote the concerts, the MSO and Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City offer a weekend “cultural music package”—oceanfront accommodations and tickets for two at either ocean venue for $150. Weekend forecast: Partly sunny to sunny, highs in the 50s.

Elizabeth Loker, for whom the Concerto Competition is named, was a retired Washington Post executive
who moved to Talbot County and fell in love with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, joined its board of directors and became a benefactor. In 2015, she died of cancer at her Royal Oak home. She was 67. The late friend-of-the-arts Pete Howell was also remembered on this occasion by board president Jeffrey Parker.

MSO Concerto Competition Concerts

Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m.: Church of Christ, 55 West Ave., Ocean View, Delaware Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m.: Community Church, Route 589 and Racetrack Road, Ocean Pines, Maryland Concert Only Tickets: $45/each Cultural Music Package: $150/for two, includes room at Dunes Hotel, Ocean City Or call: 888-846-8600.

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer, editor, and critic now living in Easton.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

Shore Arts: MSO Winner of Elizabeth Loker Competition to Perform

February 27, 2020 by Steve Parks Leave a Comment

At 22, Joseph McNure was already a winner in the realm of music performance before he captured the top prize of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition in January. In 2019, he won both the Penn State University woodwinds and the University of Maryland concerto finals, the latter against 50 fellow College Park students.

Paul Creston

But McNure is a rookie in another regard. Thursday, March 5, in Easton, marks his debut as soloist with a professional symphony orchestra, playing the same piece, Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Sax, that won him first place at College Park. He’ll follow that with two more performances—one at Ocean View, Delaware, Saturday, March 7, and at Ocean Pines Sunday, March 8. The concerts, along with a $2,000 check, were his prize for winning with flawless virtuosity at the Avalon Theatre.

“It’s a rite of passage for a musician playing his first time with a full symphony orchestra,” McNure says. “You have to prepare differently than you do with just a piano accompanist,” as he did in competition. “With an orchestra, there are so many more musicians to keep in time with.” He’ll have a couple of rehearsals with the MSO musicians under the direction of Maestro Julien Benichou before his “rite of passage.”

McNure chose the Creston concerto because “it’s challenging in a couple of different ways. There are fast sections that switch gears a lot. It’s so dynamic. The second movement is beautiful and heartfelt, while the other two provide more showmanship. You get to show the judges quite a range.”

A native of the Virginia Beach area, McNure graduated with a music education major from James Madison University in the Shenandoah region. At College Park, studying for a master’s in music performance, he credits professor Tim Powell, a fellow saxophonist and interim director of jazz, with helping him prepare.

McNure started on piano at age eight and took up saxophone in middle school. “I’m interested in a military band career someday,” he says. But he also wants to teach. “Music is more of a craft than a job,” McNure says. “I feel a responsibility to teach the next generation.”

This from a 22-year-old.

“I’m really proud to have won this competition supporting live, orchestral music,” he adds.

To help promote the event, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City are offering a “cultural music package”—oceanfront accommodations and tickets for two at either of the Ocean City area venues for $150. Total. As a bonus, music director Benichou will be at the same resort hotel for a morning-after coffee chat on the veranda or in the lobby lounge, depending on the weather.

“With so many snowbirds, we thought this would be a good way to entice some of them to return a little early,” says MSO general manager Dane Krich. After all, most of the celebrity groundhogs on the East Coast, including Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring this year.

Aside from the performance by competition-juggernaut saxophonist McNure, the orchestra will perform Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question” and Mozart’s rarely performed (for a Mozart piece) Symphony 33.

There will be a second annual Loker Concerto Competition, Krich says.

Of the competition namesake, who had a distinguished career before falling in love with the Easton-based regional orchestra, Benichou says: “Beth Loker was a most personable, dedicated, and knowledgeable music lover. She came to every concert . . . and always seemed to hear everything during the performance. After her time as the first female vice president of the Washington Post, former publisher Donald E. Graham described her as ‘brilliant, farseeing and gutsy,’ a person who ‘shaped the Washington Post of the last 40 years as much as anyone.’

The same is true of her work at the Mid-Atlantic Symphony. Through her gift to the orchestra and her membership on the board of directors, she provided support and vision, and gave the orchestra a direction for years to come.” Elizabeth Loker died of cancer at her home in Royal Oak in 2015. She was 67.

Inaugural MSO Competition Concert

Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m.: Easton Church of God, 1009 N. Washington St., Easton, Md
Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m.: Church of Christ, 55 West Ave., Ocean View, Delaware
Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m.: Community Church, Route 589 and Racetrack Road, Ocean Pines, Maryland

Concert Only Tickets: $45/each
Cultural Music Package: $150/for two, includes room at Dunes Hotel, Ocean City
Or call: 888-846-8600.

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer, editor, and critic now living in Easton.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Shore Arts: MSO Selects Winner of Elizabeth Loker Competition

January 13, 2020 by Steve Parks Leave a Comment

The winner of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition is Joseph McNure, a 22-year-old graduate student in music at the University of Maryland College Park, whose instrument of choice is the alto saxophone.

Joseph McNure

McNure was awarded $2,000 and a three-concert reprise in March of the winning performance of Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone, along with the full orchestra performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 33. The Creston concerto was a bold choice, composed by an Italian-American born to Sicilian immigrant parents in 1905. Creston died in 1985, and although he was a prolific composer whose work was widely performed through the 1950s, he was better known as a teacher in his later years. McNure interpreted the piece in an original classical jazz format, ranging from frantic piercing to quieter riffs that seemed to evoke familiar refrains you think you know but can’t quite place.

McNure, a Virginia Beach native, was the last of six finalists to perform Thursday night, January 9, at the Avalon Theatre in Easton. Six competitors were selected among about 40 applicants who were judged in December based on audio performances submitted to an MSO team. The team led by Terry Ewell, graduate director of music at Towson University, also consisted of Dane Krich, the orchestra’s general manager, and Julian Benichou, its music director. Ewell and Benichou were judges of the final round of the competition, while Krich emceed the evening’s proceedings.

While McNure said he was “thrilled” to win the competition, he’s been a winner before—capturing top honors in the University of Maryland Concerto Competition last fall.

Second-place was won by Joshua Lauretig, 25, who performed the oboe solo of Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Major. Honorable mention went to 12-year-old Sophia Lin of Longfellow Middle School in Virginia, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major. The other contestants were saxophonist Tae Ho Twang playing Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto in E-flat Major and cellists Yejin Hong and Eunghee Cho, both of whom performed, separately, Dvorak’s Cello Concerto.

In the awards presentation, Maestro Benichou noted that music competitions are not to be compared to athletic battles in that each contestant in music is out to play one’s best rather than to defeat fellow musicians. In solo competitions, he said, “We don’t learn music so much as learn about ourselves.”

Benichou also paid tribute to the competition’s namesake, the late Elizabeth Loker, longtime Easton supporter of the orchestra who bequeathed a gift to the MSO in her will.

As the winner of this first annual Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition, Joseph McNure, will perform his triumphant Paul Creston piece with the orchestra, also performing the Mozart symphony, on March 5 at the Easton Church of God, March 7 at Ocean View Church of Christ, Ocean View, Delaware, and March 8 at the Community Church in Ocean Pines, Maryland. Tickets: $45, 888-846-8600.

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer and editor now living in Easton

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