Jennifer Higdon
The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s Barnett & Company Masterworks Series concert on March 12 will feature the CSO’s Concertmaster Holly Mulcahy performing Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto, which won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2010.
Ms. Higdon wrote the piece in 2008 for violinist Hilary Hahn. According to Ms. Higdon, “I believe that one of the most rewarding aspects of life is exploring and discovering the magic and mysteries held within our universe. For a composer this thrill often takes place in the writing of a concerto…it is the exploration of an instrument’s world, a journey of the imagination, confronting and stretching an instrument’s limits, and discovering a particular performer’s gifts.”
The second half of the program will feature Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, his last, a piece known as “Pathetique” and is a pathos-laden piece that deals with the power of fate in life and death.
Composer Jennifer Higdon will be in Chattanooga for the concert and will host two pre-concert talks. There is an open rehearsal available to the public on Tuesday, March 10 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Tivoli Dance Studio with a pre-rehearsal talk by Ms. Higdon. Cost is $9 and registration is available at www.chattanoogasymphony.org/education.
Ms. Higdon will also host a pre-concert talk at the Tivoli Theatre dance studio beginning at 6:35 p.m. prior to the concert on March 12. This event is free to concert ticketholders. There will also be a free champagne reception with Ms. Higdon and Ms. Mulcahy after the concert in the Tivoli Theatre lobby, which is also free to concert ticketholders.
Even more unique to this concert is a cocktail that was created specifically to represent the Higdon Violin Concerto. Ms. Mulcahy states, “I began talking with one of the bartenders and wondered aloud if he thought he could capture the essence of a violin concerto in a cocktail. My goal was to offer the cocktail as a device to explain, entice, and invite people to listen to a newer violin work with an open mind and heart.” Nathan Herron listened to the piece and created a cocktail called “The Awakening”, which includes Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin, St. Germain, Absinthe, egg white, lemon and lime squeezes, and ginger syrup. The cocktail is currently available on Easy Bistro’s menu.
More information about Jennifer Higdon can be found at jenniferhigdon.com.
Tickets for Tchaikovsky’s 6th/Higdon Violin Concerto start at $21 (while supplies last) and are available by calling 423-267-8583 or online at www.chattanoogasymphony.org.
Holly Mulcahy