ello professor David Starkweather will join the UGA Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Antonín Dvorák masterworks on Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Tickets for the program, which opens the 2012-2013 Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s 2nd Thursday Scholarship Concert Series, are $18, $5 for students.
Directed by Mark Cedel, professor of music, the UGA Symphony Orchestra will perform three of Dvorák’s most beloved compositions: Carnival Overture, Symphony No. 8 in G major and Cello Concerto, featuring Starkweather, a faculty member at UGA since 1983.
“The concerto is a staple of the classical cellist’s repertoire and one of the Romantic composer’s longest-lasting legacies,” said Starkweather, who has performed around the world as well as recorded suites by Bach and sonatas by Shostakovich and Rachmaninov. “It’s one of the best concerti ever written for any instrument.”
Known for the frequent use of folk melodies in his compositions, Dvorák was born in the modern-day Czech Republic in 1841. After spending a majority of his life in Europe, Dvorák spent his remaining years as an expatriate in the U.S., assimilating the country’s musical styles and utilizing them in his work.
Established in 1980, the 2nd Thursday Scholarship Series showcases performances by UGA students and faculty on the second Thursday of each month throughout the academic year. Proceeds from individual ticket sales and season subscriptions allow for year-long academic scholarships and assistantships for students. Donors have the opportunity to sponsor individual students of the music school at several levels. In 2011, the 2nd Thursday series provided scholarships to 30 students based on faculty recommendations, academic achievement and performance ability.
The next concert in the series will be Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. The UGA Opera Workshop will stage scenes from Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann.
Tickets are available at the Performing Arts Center’s box office at 706-542-4400 or online at www.pac.uga.edu.
