TACOMA, WA - Pianist Charlie Albright, born in Pierce County and raised in Centralia, will return to the region to perform with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra under the direction of new Music Director Sarah Ioannides on Sunday, November 23rd at 2:30 p.m. Albright has become a national star and is an emerging star on the international scene as well.  Talented from an early age, Albright has been praised for his "jaw-dropping technique" by The New York Times and hailed as "among the most gifted musicians of his generation" by the Washington Post. He was awarded the prestigious 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and previously received the 2013 Arthur W. Foote Award and the 2010 Gilmore Young Artist Award. 

 

Originally scheduled to take place in the Rialto Theater, the concert has been relocated to the larger Pantages Theater due to outstanding public demand.  The Rialto Theater's capacity is 740 compared to the 1100 in the Pantages.  All current ticket holders will be mailed a new set of tickets. 

 

The central work on the program is Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, an expansive piece that even today pushes the technical and musical boundaries of the piano, soloist and orchestra.  Also on the concert will be Beethoven's Fidelio Overture and Brahms' Symphony No. 2.  The overture to Beethoven's only opera went through a full four iterations before arriving at its final form which, somewhat ironically, retains no material from the opera itself.  Brahms' Symphony No. 2 is colorful and unusually sunny, with winds frequently taking the most singing melodies, and the brass and low strings providing the weight and dramatic contrast.  Presented together, these works will provide an energetic, high-spirited afternoon of music. 

 

Albright recently performed the Tchaikovsky concerto with Sarah Ioannides and the Spartanburg Philharmonic on extremely short notice, replacing a previously scheduled soloist.  According to Ioannides, "Charlie Albright is a commanding pianist.  His has a charisma and improvisational talent that will take him far in his burgeoning international career."

 

This concert is sponsored by Lopez Law and The Roberson.  Media sponsor is Northwest Public Radio.

 

For tickets, $19 and up for adults; $12 and up for students, visit www.tacomasymphony.org or call 253-591-5894 or toll free at 800-291-7593.  Tickets may be purchased in person at the Broadway Center Box Office, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

Press Release online.

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