College of Charleston music professor Edward Hart will have a once-in-a-lifetime moment this Saturday (February 11, 2012), when his composition is played on a rare $4 million-dollar Stradivarius violin. Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Concertmaster Yuriy Bekker will play Hart’s Under an Indigo Sky at 7:30 p.m. at the Gaillard Auditorium (77 Calhoun St.).
“It is a privilege to have your music played by an exceptionally gifted musician. It is especially meaningful when that performer is your friend,” Hart says. “Since first meeting some years ago, I have wanted to write him a substantial work not only because we are friends, but because he plays the violin the way I would want to if I could play. In short, he makes all the right musical choices. And to hear Under an Indigo Sky on such a rare instrument is amazing.”
As a gesture of their esteem for the Charleston Symphony, Dr. Winifred and Mr. John Constable of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania donated the use of their family’s 1686 Stradivarius violin for use by in the concert. Considered to be the best violin-maker in the world, Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) made more than a thousand violins during his lifetime, around 650 of which are believed to exist today.
The violin (known as the “1686 Ex-Nachez” Stradivarius) has three hundred twenty-six years of history. It was once played by such notable musicians as F. Fradkin, Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1918-1920, and Victor Dardenne of the New York Metropolitan Orchestra in the late 1940s. In addition, it was owned by famous art and violin collectors Joseph Gillott and George Hart in the 1800s.
Bekker commented, saying, “You can bring out so many colors with this instrument. Stradivari violins are truly works of art. It’s an incredible feeling knowing the rich historic heritage and remarkable artistry behind this one.”
About his composition, Under an Indigo Sky, Hart says, “In a way, it is a love letter to my home state, South Carolina. I am continually amazed and thankful for the natural and cultural diversity of this relatively small place. I have attempted to musically capture three distinct yet related regions of our state with an eye not only to the landscapes, but the feel and ‘soul’ of the places.”
Hart is an associate professor of Music at the College of Charleston. His music has been performed in the United States, Latin America, Africa, and Europe including performances in New York, Los Angeles, Kiev, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Boston, Austria, Argentina, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
In addition to Edward Hart’s piece, the concert will include Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, which was written for the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society, and first presented in 1933. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, composed in 1811-12 and premiered in 1813, will encompass the second half of the concert.
There will be a pre-concert talk from the stage led by Dr. William Gudger with Dr. Edward Hart at 6:30pm.
Tickets for the concert start at $20 for reserved seating. Student tickets are $10 with valid ID. Tickets may be purchased in advance online at www.CharlestonSymphony.org, by calling the CSO at (843) 723-7528, and at the Gaillard Auditorium Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet.
