Music for the Spirit Concert Features PSO, Honeck

For Immediate Release
Jan. 8, 2014

MUSIC DIRECTOR MANFRED HONECK, PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CELEBRATE “MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT” WITH FREE CONCERT

PITTSBURGH—Music has the power to touch the human spirit, transcending time, place, boundaries and language and spurring understanding and connection. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Manfred Honeck are deeply committed to music’s ability to promote and spread a spiritual and universal message, and to that end invite the public to a free “Music for the Spirit” concert on Feb. 13, 2014, at 7 p.m. at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

The annual Music for the Spirit concerts are especially important to Maestro Honeck as he embraces music’s ability to promote dialogue among faiths. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is partnering with the Pittsburgh Symphony on this year’s concert. The program will include works by Schubert, Dvoøák, Schmidt, Ullmann and more.

“Music was such an integral part of the lives of so many of our survivors,” says Hilary Tyson, chair of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. “Memories of favorite musical pieces helped get them through the darkest of their days during the Holocaust. Therefore, we are so pleased to be able to partner with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on the Music for the Spirit series community concert on Feb. 13 and on our Yom Hashoa/Holocaust Remembrance Day program in April where we will explore the art, music and literature from the Holocaust.”

Along with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Betsy Burleigh, and “Concentio” of Pittsburgh School for the Choral Arts, under the direction of Kathryn Barnard, will be featured during the performance. Associate Principal Viola Tatjana Mead Chamis will be the featured soloist on Boris Pigovat’s Requiem, “The Holocaust,” for Viola and Orchestra.

General admission tickets are free to the public and are available now. Tickets are limited and up to four are available per household. Ticket reservations can be made by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

Each season, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents two performances with spiritual roots — one at Heinz Hall as part of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics series and one in rotating venues in the community, such as churches, synagogues, mosques and community centers. These performances feature works with spirituality at their heart and that appeal to music lovers of all faiths. The Music for the Spirit concerts sprang from the Pittsburgh Symphony’s 2004 performance at the Vatican, the first American orchestra to perform for a pope. That powerful, monumental experience sparked a commitment between the Pittsburgh Symphony and faith communities in Pittsburgh to perform concerts that celebrate the spiritual and universal message of music. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Vatican concert on Jan. 17, 2004, and the inspiration for Music for the Spirit.

Generous support for Music for the Spirit is provided by Astorino, Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Donahue, Susan and Roy Dorrance, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Catharine M. Ryan and John T. Ryan III.

Editors Please Note:

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, 7 p.m.
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Ave.
MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MANFRED HONECK, conductor
TATJANA MEAD CHAMIS, viola
MENDELSSOHN CHOIR OF PITTSBURGH (Betsy Burleigh, director)
“CONCENTIO” OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL FOR THE CHORAL ARTS (Kathryn Barnard, director)

Franz Schubert               Mass No. 6 in E-flat major, D. 950
 I. Kyrie

Franz Schubert               Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, [old No. 7] "Unfinished"
                                                I. Allegro moderato

Antonin Dvoøák              Stabat Mater, Opus 58
III. Eia, mater, fons amoris

Bohuslav Martinu           Memorial to Lidice
Viktor Ullmann              Three Hebrew Boys' Choruses
A'macha jissrael jibane
Haleluja! bezilzele schama
Hedad, hedad, gina ktana!

Franz Schmidt                Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals)
                                                Und als das Lamm der Siegel zweites auftrat

Boris Pigovat                  Requiem, “The Holocaust,” for Viola and Orchestra
Lux Eterna

Gabriel-Urbain Fauré      Requiem, Opus 48
                                                VII. In paradisum

Franz Schmidt                Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals)
                                                Hallelujah!

Franz Schmidt                Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals)
Epilog

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 Photo Credit;  Felix Broede

Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsciannameo@pittsburghsymphony.org
Contact: Joyce DeFrancesco, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: jdefrancesco@pittsburghsymphony.org

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