Essence of Artist: Orchestra spotlights members

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, April 26, 2017

VALDOSTA – Valdosta Symphony Orchestra features two of its own during the final concert of the season.

“The puppet Petrushka comes to life in Stravinsky’s vibrant score that mines the riches of the symphony orchestra,” said Howard Hsu, orchestra conductor. “VSO principal second violin Kristin Yu and VSO principal clarinet Peter Geldrich are featured soloists in works by Dvorak and Copland.”

Specifically, Yu is the featured soloist with Antonin Dvorak’s “Romance in F Minor, Op. 11.” Geldrich is the featured soloist in Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.

The orchestra also performs Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka.”

“The Essence of the Artist” concert is the final Valdosta Symphony Orchestra performance of the 2016-17 season. It blends music from a wide gamut of composers from America to Russia, exhibiting that art is an international affair while artists can transcend nationality by speaking universally.

The concert also reminds listeners that the VSO membership is filled with talented individuals. 

At VSU, Yu is a lecturer of violin and director and master teacher of the South Georgia String Project, according to her biography via Valdosta State. 

“Dr. Yu received her doctor of music from Florida State University, where she studied and served as graduate teaching assistant to Eliot Chapo, former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony Orchestra,” according to the biography. 

“She has performed with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Florida Symphony, Opera Naples, and Mobile Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Yu has participated in numerous summer festivals such as the Brevard Music Center, Chautauqua Music Festival, Le Domaine Forget, Indiana University String Academy, and Colorado College Summer Music Festival, among others.”

Geldrich is an assistant professor of clarinet at VSU. He is principal clarinet of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra in the Kay Jennett Chair, according to a biography supplied by VSU. 

“Mr. Geldrich began his clarinet studies with Robert Renino in New York at the age of 10. Since then, he has studied with renowned orchestral clarinetists Loren Kitt, Mitchell Estrin, and Karl Leister, of the National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic respectively,” according to the biographical information. 

“In addition to his role with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Geldrich plays in the Albany Symphony Orchestra. He frequently performs with Sinfonia Gulf Coast and the Charlotte, Fla., Symphony Orchestra. He has also served as guest principal clarinet with the Orquesta Sinfonica UANL in Monterrey, Mexico. As a featured soloist, Mr. Geldrich has appeared with the Montclair Symphony Orchestra (N.J.), the VSU Faculty Jazz Ensemble, the VSU Wind Ensemble, and the Carolina Master Chorale alongside acclaimed soprano Arianna Zuckerman. In 2015 Mr. Geldrich was a featured artist at the SCI National Conference in Gainesville, Fla.”

The essence of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra is artists such as these.

The concert is at 7:30 pm in Whitehead, and we are having a pre-concert chat at 6:45 pm in Sawyer.

SHOWTIME

Valdosta Symphony Orchestra presents “The Essence of the Artist.”

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29.

Where: Whitehead Auditorium, Valdosta State University Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.

More information: Visit www.valdostasymphony.org; or call (229) 333-2150.