NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

2/22/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - The Natchitoches ­ Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will feature violinist Manshan Yang when it performs Friday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is $5. Northwestern students are admitted free with I.D. Members of the Natchitoches ­ Northwestern Symphony Association are admitted free with their season ticket. Scott York will conduct the orchestra.

The program will include the "Overture" from "Kismet" by Wright and Forrest, Mozart's Concerto No. 4 in D major, movement #1 which will feature Yang and Tchaikovsky's "Symphony #5 in E Minor" Featuring senior V. J. Russell of Marrero on French horn.

Yang, a freshman from Guangzhou, China, was the winner of the annual NSU Concerto Competition. In addition, Yang was also recently won the Monroe Symphony Concerto Competition. She has been playing violin since age four and was gained admission to the Guangzhou Conservatory when she was 13. The conservatory is the only one in that region of China.

"The Mozart is a show piece for the violin and invites the audience to marvel at the technical prowess of the performer and the composer," said York. "I am pleased that Manshan will be here for three more years for concertgoers to enjoy."

York says the Tchaikovsky symphony is "a tour de force for the individual musician as well as the ensemble."

"The second movement features soloistic playing for many of the wind instruments, but especially important is the opening solo by V.J. Russell, one of our outstanding students."

According to York, the Tchaikovsky symphony is a good example of an idea popular in music and literature written during the 19th century.

"It is based on fate, a popular topic of romantic composers, and how fate can trump the hand of human endeavor," said York. "The idea of fate as an uncontrollable force that controls the ultimate destiny of unfortunate human beings, especially 'star crossed lover' is prominent in perhaps the best known of all Tchaikovsky orchestral literature, 'Romeo and Juliet.'"

"The 'fate motif' appears in all four movements as if to say no matter how carried away you get in the beauty of the moment, fate is always there lurking ready to snatch life away at any moment. The final movement may reflect a kind of acceptance of, rather than a triumph over destiny and is one of Tchaikovsky's most psychologically penetrating moments."

The "Overture" will be a preview of "Kismet" which will be presented by the orchestra, NSU Theatre and NSU Opera Theatre April 24-27.

"We will feature some signature tunes that will be very recognizable," said York. "The music was inspired by Russian Composer Alexsandr Borodin but is in the style of American Broadway music."

For ticket information, call (318) 357-4522.

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