Theofanidis Piano Concerto Premiere with Biegel and Harrisburg

Christopher Theofanidis's Piano Concerto no. 2 will have its World Premiere on November 17 and 18 with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, to be conducted by Music Director, Stuart Malina and, pianist, Jeffrey Biegel. Joining the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in the commission is the Rogue Valley Symphony in Oregon, whose concerts will take place in January 2019, Martin Majkut conducting.

Mr. Theofanidis has had many performance by leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Moscow Soloists, the National, Baltimore, St. Louis and Detroit Symphonies, among many others.

The three movements are titled, Midnight Air, Troublemaker, and Astrolabe. According to Mr. Theofanidis, "Each of the three movements in the concerto has its starting point in poems of Rumi." (Program notes available upon request). Scored for piano, strings, harp and percussion, Mr. Theofanidis creates a unique sonic landscape, the likes of which most orchestras have experienced with his music. Perhaps the most notably performed work is, Rainbow Body, which has been performed by more than 150 orchestras internationally.

Mr. Biegel is best known for his interpretations through performances of standard repertoire, and has ventured further into the jazz and popular worlds with music by Claude Bolling, Keith Emerson, and new concertos by Jimmy Webb, Neil Sedaka, Peter Tork and Jeremy Lubbock. His commissioning projects and premieres since 1998 include new works by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Charles Strouse, Lowell Liebermann, Richard Danielpour, William Bolcom, Kenneth Fuchs, Lucas Richman, Peter Schickele (as P.D.Q. Bach), Jake Runestad, Marjorie Rusche and Dick Tunney. From his recordings "Bach On a Steinway" to the "Steinway Christmas Album", the "Complete Sonatas by Mozart" to the upcoming premiere of the new Peanuts Concerto based on the music of Vince Guaraldi, Mr. Biegel stretches the boundaries of the 21st century pianist to embrace the widest possible range of styles and repertoire without compromise to the individual genres.

Mr. Malina is one of the most versatile music directors on the planet. He conducts Classic Masterworks concerts, doubles at the piano as soloist with orchestra, conducts opera and ballet, composes and arranges music - most notably winning a Tony Award for his orchestrations of Billy Joel's Movin' Out, as well as acting on stage opposite Zoe Caldwell in Terrence McNally's Tony-winning drama, Master Class for its pre-Broadway run at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In addition to being the Music Director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra for nineteen years, he is also Principal Guest Conductor for the Florida Orchestra since 2013.

The concerts on November 17 and 18 will also include Rossini's Overture to 'The Italian Girl in Algiers', Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin and Beethoven's Symphony. no. 5 in c minor.

For more information about Mr. Theofanidis, please visit www.theofanidismusic.com

For more information about Mr. Biegel, please visit www.jeffreybiegel.com

For more information about Mr. Malina, please visit www.stuartmalina.com

For more information about the Harrisburg Symphjony Orchestra, please visit www.harrisburgsymphony.org

For information regarding Mr. Theofanidis's Piano Concerto no. 2, please send an email to info@jeffreybiegel.com