VALDOSTA —
Violin virtuoso Amy Schwartz Moretti believes Beethoven’s Violin Concerto to be one of the tragic composer’s best works.
“Beethoven’s life was not easy,” Moretti says. “For someone who endured much adversity, he brought so much beauty into this world. ... He conveys so much emotion in this music.”
This weekend, Moretti performs the concerto during the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra’s “Brilliant Beethoven” concert. In addition to Moretti’s solo performance on the concerto, conductor Howard Hsu and the VSO will perform Beethoven’s “Creatures of Prometheus Overture,” and “Pastoral”: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.
Moretti has performed across the United States and internationally. She made her concerto debut at the famed Carnegie Hall. She has performed with Robert McDuffie, the Macon-born violinist who made such a big impression recently with the VSO. She is also director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University.
She has enjoyed a career as a soloist as well as concertmaster with various orchestras.
Music and the violin have been part of her life since early childhood. She began group lessons at the age of 4. In North Carolina, she started private lessons at the age of 7.
“Violin has always been a natural part of my life, but it was at 12 years old that the violin began taking on the major role,” Moretti says. “I won a competition and realized that it was something that I excelled at and enjoyed doing. I began spending more time, three to four hours a day, which eventually led to more time as I got into my later teens, five to six hours a day.”
Rehearsal is a constant with Moretti.
“I try to spend as much time as I can with the violin, but sometimes this is difficult as you take on more and more responsibility with family and work,” she says. “Since I teach, I am always picking up the violin to demonstrate to my students. Outside of teaching, I try to spend a couple of hours a day. As years pass, I find I can get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time if I am really focused.”
As for a composer, she enjoys them all.
“It’s too difficult to pick just one,” Moretti says. “My favorite is whatever composer I’m playing at the time. It’s hard to be convincing musically to an audience if you don’t like what you are playing.”
So, this week, Valdosta audiences can expect Beethoven to be Amy Schwartz Moretti’s favorite composer.
Concert Info:
Valdosta Symphony Orchestra presents
“Brilliant Beethoven.”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12.
Where: Whitehead Auditorium, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.
Ticket: $25.
More information: Call VSU College of the Arts Outreach, (229) 333-2150; or visit www.valdostasymphony.org
