NEWS RELEASE

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

10/31/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -The Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will present works by Dvorak and Rachmaninoff when it performs in concert Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Richard Rose is the conductor.

Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Society season ticket holders are admitted free with their tickets. NSU students are admitted with their I.D. Tickets at the door are $10.

The orchestra will perform Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9 in E Minor" (New World Symphony) and Rachmaninoff's "Concerto No. 2 in C Minor" featuring Assistant Professor of Piano Nikita Fitenko.

Rose says the entire concert is "very romantic."

"The audience should leave with a good feeling," he said. "The concert will be emotionally demanding, not only of the audience but also the orchestra. Both pieces especially the Dvorak Symphony take every ounce of physical and emotional energy the musicians have. You feel tired but very good when you are finished. It is very rewarding to perform."

Dvorak got the ideas for the "New World Symphony" while visiting the United States, but finished it in his native Czechoslovakia.

"It is melodious. American folk based but it is definitely a Slavic piece of music," said Rose. "It has very beautiful melodies. The second movement, "Largo" is probably the most famous."

Rose said the symphony was originally thought to be Dvorak's fifth, but four earlier symphonies were later found.

"That is part of a strange phenomenon among 19th century composers such as Schubert, Beethoven and Dvorak that none of them wrote more than nine symphonies," said Rose.

According to Rose, Rachmaninoff's concerto is "one of the standards."

"The orchestra is involved more in the piece than just being an accompanist. There is a great deal of dialogue between the orchestra and piano," said Rose. "Rachmaninoff is one of the most underrated orchestrators in history. His use of tone colors combining the different instruments is just fantastic."

Fitenko, a first-year faculty member at Northwestern is making his debut with the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony.

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a Citation for Excellence in piano performance given to only five other graduates in the last 50 years. After being awarded a "City of Weimar" stipend from East Germany, he made his formal debut in 1992 with the St. Petersburg Capella Symphony and has performed throughout Europe.

Fitenko continued his studies at the University of North Texas where he received the Anton Rubinstein Memorial Award. In 1995, he was awarded top prizes in the Beethoven International Competition of the Houston Symphony. In 1996 he won the 'Beethoven Prize' at the Byelorussian International Piano Competition in Minsk. Since 1996, Fitenko has worked with the Altarus Records Co. to record a series of contemporary Russian piano music.

For ticket information, call (318) 352-6742.

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