UW Symphony Orchestra to Present ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ Concert Nov. 21

"Pictures at an Exhibition" -- just the title excites orchestra lovers, according to a University of Wyoming Department of Music professor. Add "Rocky 2," and the anticipation is overwhelming -- the concerto, not the movie. Then, add an overture that won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize, by the folk/pop music icon Rhiannon Giddens.

"Can an orchestra concert be more exciting?" asks Michael Griffith, UW's director of orchestral activities. Griffith encourages guests to find out for themselves, as the UW Symphony Orchestra performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets are $12 for the public, $9 for senior citizens and $6 for students. A nominal processing fee will be charged for each ticket. To purchase tickets, visit the Performing Arts box office, call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984.

"Pictures," by Modest Mussorgsky, was written to celebrate an exhibition by the artist Viktor Hartmann. Each of the movements "describes" one painting in sound. From the Russian witch Baba-Yaga, to children playing in the Tuileries Garden in Paris, to the mysterious Catacombs, to the monumental Great Gate of Kiev -- each movement is a musical gem, Griffith says.

Mussorgsky wrote this piece for piano, and the French impressionist composer Ravel orchestrated it, using every possible colorful sound of the modern orchestra. "Pictures at an Exhibition" is among the most popular and powerful works for orchestra, Griffith says.

"Popular doesn't begin to describe Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto ('Rocky 2')," he adds. "The piano part is demanding and brilliant, while the melodies are so beautiful -- even Frank Sinatra added words to one of them and had a hit solo in 'Blue Moon' and 'Empty Arms.' The lush, late-Romantic harmonies add a warm richness to the mix."

Of course, the fast, technical passages are "hair-raising," especially as played by soloist Jiwon Han, UW Department of Music collaborative pianist. He played his first solo with the Korean Philharmonic Orchestra at age 10, and he has had a successful career performing throughout Europe, East Asia and the U.S.

Han has won major prizes from prestigious international competitions and performs as a chamber musician, orchestral pianist and collaborative pianist. He has released two solo albums: "Debut" and "Romanticism." Additionally, he has released two collaborative albums: "Bach-Schubert," a live performance with violinist Zia Shin, and "Works by German Composers" with violinist Fangting Chen. Han received his doctorate from Michigan State University.

Griffith also has chosen for the concert the overture to "Omar," winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in music. "Omar" is an opera based on the life of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar from West Africa who was enslaved and transported to the U.S. in 1807.

The composers are Grammy-winning pop/folk music star Rhiannon Giddens and Grammy- and Emmy-nominated film composer Michael Abels.

"The overture, with its exciting rhythms and complex layering, centers on the African tune Koromanti," Griffith says. "It's fascinating, unusual music that you're sure to love."

For more information, email Griffith at [email protected].