PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION, MARCH 22, 2025 AT 7:30 PM, FIRSTONTARIO CONCERT HALL, 1 Summers Lane, Hamilton, ON
HAMILTON, March 7, 2025 – The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s musical adventure continues with a showcase of vivid masterpieces of orchestral colour. From Maurice Ravel’s evocative Mother Goose Suite to Modest Mussorgsky’s musical art gallery, concert goers will experience a vibrant musical picture book at the HPO concert, Pictures at an Exhibition. Canadian pianist Jane Coop returns to the HPO to perform Ravel’s virtuosic Piano Concerto in G Major in this musical extravaganza led by Earl Lee, renowned Korean-Canadian conductor.
Composer Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition was originally written to commemorate the massive exhibition of over 400 works by his close friend, architect/artist Victor Hartmann, who died suddenly in 1873. Filled with well-loved tunes, Pictures at an Exhibition depicts 11 of Hartmann’s creations, linked together by the Promenade theme, which represents the composer walking from one work to the next.
“Thanks to our friends at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, we will be displaying images of paintings from the expansive AGH permanent collection,” said Abigail Richardson-Schulte, HPO’s Composer-In-Residence. “We hope these visual cues will add a new dimension to the audience’s experience and deepen their enjoyment as they imagine walking through the exhibition.”
The heart of the concert is Ravel’s spectacular Piano Concerto in G Major which begins with a crack of whip signalling that the race between the pianist and orchestra is on.
“This is one of the most brilliant and appealing works in the literature for piano and orchestra,” said acclaimed pianist, Jane Coop. “Colourful, effervescent, sometimes brooding, often exhilarating, one could find dozens of words to describe this beloved piece. I have studied, performed and taught the concerto many times over the years. It’s always a treat to return to it in the light of growth and the passing of time. I’m thrilled to be visiting it again and to be playing it with the HPO!”
Introducing concertgoers to this sparkling concert is Ravel’s enchanting Mother Goose Suite. In Ravel’s hands this is no ordinary take on nursery rhymes; it is filled with radiant orchestration that delights.
Tickets to HPO’s Pictures at an Exhibition are on sale now. To learn more about this concert or to purchase tickets online, visit HPO.org.
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Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
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