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KSO Concertmaster series premieres Oct. 14-15 with music of Beethoven, Mendelssohn & Kreisler

October 11, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 9, 2015

For more information, contact:
Rachel Dellinger, KSO Director of Communications
Direct: 865-521-2317 Cell: 865-660-3037
[email protected]

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Members of the KSO will perform Gabriel Lefkowitz & Friends, kicking off the KSO Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series. This concert will take place on Wednesday, October 14 and Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Knoxville Museum of Art.  These performances are sponsored by American Piano Gallery and the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Gabriel Lefkowitz will be joined by Kevin Class, piano and Andy Bryenton, cello. Musical selections include the rousing Kreisler’s Variations on a Theme by Corelli, in which the legendary Austrian violinist-composer Fritz Kreisler pays homage to the Baroque Italian master Arcangelo Corelli in his own unmistakable style. KSO Principal Cellist Andy Bryenton will join for Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, a masterpiece of the genre and one of the most often performed and appreciated as well.

The program concludes with Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9 in A Major, known as “Kreutzer.”

Violinist Gabriel Lefkowitz

Violinist Gabriel Lefkowitz

“It’s strange to think that in the three years we’ve presented so much incredible repertoire in this series that we have yet to perform works by the man considered by so many to be the greatest and most beloved force in all of Western music, Ludwig van Beethoven,” said Gabriel Lefkowitz, KSO Concertmaster. “Few composers if any are as universally respected and honored, and in the October program at the KMA, we’ll remedy his absence by presenting his mighty Sonata No. 9 in A Major for Violin and Piano, named The “Kreutzer” Sonata. This is a landmark work at the apex of the Violin and Piano Sonata genre and Kevin Class and I are so thrilled to present it at the beautiful Knoxville Museum of Art.”

Violinist Gabriel Lefkowitz, currently in his fifth year as KSO Concertmaster, will be the featured soloist on several KSO concerts this season. In addition to many violin and conducting engagements, Gabriel also composes scores for films and video games. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University where he graduated magna cum laude and a Masters in Violin Performance from The Juilliard School where he studied with Joel Smirnoff and Masao Kawasaki.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased by calling 865-291-3310 or visiting our website. Seating is General Admission and doors open at 6:30. Patrons can purchase the entire KSO Concertmaster Series until October 14 for a discounted rate of $45 ($15 per concert).

About the KSO

Established in 1935, the KSO has contributed to the cultural life in East Tennessee continuously for 80 years, providing excellence in musical and educational programs. The Orchestra consists of 80 professional musicians and performs 250 programs throughout the region each season, reaching audiences of more than 200,000 people. The KSO performs in traditional venues such as the Tennessee Theatre, Bijou Theatre and the Civic Auditorium as well as non-traditional places like hospitals, schools, city parks and churches.  The KSO is currently undergoing the search for a new Music Director, to be announced in 2016. For more information please visit www.knoxvillesymphony.com.