Ludwig van Beethoven, Grosse Fuge for String Quartet
Kyu-Young Kim, violin
Ruggero Allifranchini, violin
Hyobi Sim, viola
Julie Albers, cello
Jessie Montgomery, Records from a Vanishing City for Chamber Orchestra (Midwest premiere)
Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Concerto Steven Copes, violin
American composer Jessie Montgomery’s Records from a Vanishing City evokes the vibrancy of her 20th-century New York upbringing and reflects on the disappearance of communities in the face of rapid gentrification. Iconic works by Beethoven bookend the Midwest premiere of Montgomery’s work, with SPCO Concertmaster Steven Copes as soloist on Beethoven’s extremely virtuosic Violin Concerto, which at its inception pushed the limits of the concerto form and continues to challenge violinists and electrify audiences today.