This preview has been provided by the North Carolina Symphony.

Pianist Lang Lang has performed at the Opening Ceremony at the 2008 Summer Olympics, at the White House, and with Metallica and Pharrell Williams at two consecutive Grammy Awards shows. Now he joins the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) for a one-night-only special event concert on March 1 at Meymandi Concert Hall.

Karina Canellakis, the winner of the 2016 Sir George Solti Conducting Award, makes a return appearance to the North Carolina Symphony to lead the program. She has been heralded by the Los Angeles Times as “astonishing” and “the model of a modern musician.”

Lang Lang’s charismatic performance style has earned him a reputation as a classical music “rock star” — but behind the flair and bravado is impeccable technique and consummate artistry. Mr. Lang — who was previously scheduled to perform the Bartók Piano Concerto No. 2 — made the artistic decision to instead share with our audience the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor.**

This particular Mozart concerto has long been a favorite of Mr. Lang, who recorded it for a 2015 album and has been praised throughout the world for his fresh interpretation of the work. We are thrilled to present one of the world’s greatest pianists performing a beloved work by one of history’s greatest composers!

Dvořák was inspired by the Czech folk tunes of his native land — and when he visited America in the 1890s, he encouraged American composers to turn to their own unique folk music for inspiration. His Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” makes references to Native American tunes and African American spirituals. It had immediate success when it was premiered at New York’s Carnegie Hall and has remained one of the most popular classical works ever composed.

**Program change announced – February 28

 

North Carolina Symphony
Special Event Concert
Lang Lang

 

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Meymandi Concert Hall
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts

PERFORMERS
North Carolina Symphony
Karina Canellakis, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

PROGRAM
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “New World”
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor**

Tickets start at $65
Online: ncsymphony.org (TicketMaster fees apply)
By phone: 919.733.2750 ($8 processing fee applies)
In-person: NCS State Headquarters Offices, 3700 Glenwood Ave., Suite 130, Raleigh (No processing fee)

About the North Carolina Symphony

Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is a vital and honored component of North Carolina’s cultural life. Its 175 concerts and events annually are greeted with enthusiasm by adults and schoolchildren in more than 90 North Carolina counties — in communities large and small, and in concert halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, restaurants, clubs, and outdoor settings. The Symphony’s 66 full-time musicians perform under the artistic leadership of Music Director Grant Llewellyn.

NCS’s state headquarters venue is the spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. The Symphony’s service across the state includes series in Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, New Bern, Southern Pines, and Wilmington, as well as Summerfest concerts at the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Collaborating with performers that range from classical artists, to banjo players, to jazz bands, NCS brings some of the world’s greatest talents to North Carolina.

Committed to engaging students of all ages across North Carolina, NCS leads the most extensive education program of any U.S. orchestra. In alignment with the curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Symphony provides training and resources for teachers, sends small ensembles into classrooms, and presents full-orchestra Education Concerts experienced by more than 52,000 4th and 5th graders each year. Music Discovery for preschoolers combines music with storytelling, and at the middle and high school levels, students have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.

NCS is dedicated to giving voice to new art, and has given 47 U.S. or world premieres in its history. In March 2017, NCS will appear at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as one of four orchestras chosen for the inaugural year of SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras—an honor that recognizes the Symphony’s innovative community partnerships and creative programming that inspires increased interest in new music. The Symphony will present works by composers with ties to North Carolina, including Sarah Kirkland Snider, Caroline Shaw, Mason Bates, and Robert Ward.

The first state-supported symphony in the country, NCS performs under the auspices of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.