Shepherd School Symphony Offers Carnegie Preview Performance on Wednesday, Oct. 26

Rice University's Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra will perform a special Carnegie Hall preview concert at the Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The Shepherd School Symphony is led by internationally celebrated conductor Larry Rachleff, and the limited engagement will feature renowned pianist and Rice piano professor, Jon Kimura Parker.

The concert will serve as the world premiere of In Terra, a new work by award-winning composer and Rice University music professor, Pierre Jalbert. Other compositions slated to be performed by the symphony that night are Witold Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra, Bedřich Smetana's Overture from the Bartered Bride and Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major.

As excerpted from the Shepherd School Symphony's website, Rice University prides itself on the prestigious Shepherd School music program and its distinguished music director in Larry Rachleff:

"The Shepherd School of Music is an internationally known magnet for young players wanting careers as professional orchestral musicians. The excellent faculty -- but above all conductor Larry Rachleff -- consistently produces a top-quality ensemble many a city could want as its resident orchestra"

In an interview with Jon Kimura Parker at the pianist's website, the professor discussed how his history of collegiate musical instruction affects his piano playing as a classical performer:

"I love to be able to use my performing experience in lessons, particularly as a student gets closer to their own performance. At the Shepherd School of Music at Rice we have continual opportunities for performances, in studio master classes, regular studio recitals in Duncan Hall, and each students' individual degree recitals as well."

The concert on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. is free and open to the public. To reserve tickets, please contact the Fisher Center Box Office at (845) 758-7900 or visit fishercenter.bard.edu.

Below, watch a video of Jon Kimura Parker performing Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 from a performance at the Shepherd School's Stude Concert Hall.

The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra performs at Carnegie Hall on Friday, Oct. 28.

TagsShepherd School Symphony Orchestra, Larry Rachleff, Jon Kimura Parker, Pierre Jalbert, Witold Lutosławsk, Bedřich Smetana, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninoff