Olympia Symphony Orchestra - "Breaking the Glass"

The second in a series of “love letters to the community,” Music Director Alexandra Arrieche presents a program that breaks barriers that we have constructed within our world and amongst ourselves, and imagines a future of unity, belonging, and understanding.

THE MUSIC:

ESTANCIA - Alberto Ginastera (1941)
Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia (“Ranch”), reflects the sights and sounds of his native Argentina in a set of four dances which celebrate the nationalistic sounds of the Argentinian culture on the orchestral stage.

VIOLIN CONCERTO No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 - Max Bruch (1866)
Violinist David Kim (http://davidkimviolin.com), concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, joins the Olympia Symphony to perform Max Bruch’s iconic Violin Concerto in G minor. Speaking of the value of art and culture across all generations, he says “It does something for the soul…it can’t just be about eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, riding your bike, it has to be more….if [kids] don’t have the art and culture in their lives I feel that there’s a dry spot in their heart. We human beings have a natural desire and a love for the arts, for music, and for love and relationships...you have a community, you have friends, and you’re a part of something that is so much fun….kids pick up on that and they think that’s awesome.”

SYMPHONY NO. 4 "HEROES" - Philip Glass - inspired by David Bowie (1996)
Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 4, inspired by David Bowie’s album “Heroes,” aims to merge the boundaries between “classical” and “pop” music, celebrating music as music and breaking barriers between genres. This concept parallels Alexandra Arrieche’s podcast “Beethoven Was a Rockstar,” where she identifies the labels used to define musical styles and breaks through the divisions.

ABOUT DAVID KIM, VIOLIN
Violinist David Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.
Highlights of Mr. Kim’s 2022-23 season include appearing as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Bach Brandenburg Concertos with conductor Nicholas McGegan in Philadelphia and the Tchaikovsky Concerto with conductor Fabio Luisi at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center; teaching/performance residencies at Georgetown University and the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne; solo appearances with orchestras, recitals, masterclasses, and speaking engagements across the United States; and concerto appearances at the Prague Summer Summer Nights Festival in Prague, Czech Republic and the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Hanoi, Vietnam. He will continue to appear as concertmaster of the 9-time Emmy Award winning All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the USA and online at the Khan Academy.
Mr. Kim is a frequent touring guest of famed modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty at venues such as the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Kim serves as Distinguished Artist at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon. He frequently serves as an adjudicator at international violin competitions such as the Menuhin and Sarasate and each season presents masterclasses at schools across the United States.
Mr. Kim has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, the University of Rhode Island, and Dickinson College. His instruments are a J.B. Guadagnini from Milan, Italy ca. 1757 on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra and a Francesco Gofriller ca. 1735. Mr. Kim exclusively performs on and endorses Larsen Strings from Denmark.
Mr. Kim resides in a Philadelphia suburb with his wife Jane and daughters Natalie and Maggie. He is an avid golfer and outdoorsman.