(GREENSBORO, NC) The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra (GSO) presents Italian Inspirations, sponsored by The Carolina Peacemaker and Arch MI, on November 21 and 23 at 8:00 pm at Guilford College’s Dana Auditorium! Sharing the stage will be the acclaimed double bassist, Xavier Foley, performing Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 for double bass and orchestra. This will be preceded by Respighi’s Gli uccelli (The Birds) for orchestra, and followed by Shubert’s Symphony No. 4.
Xavier Foley, called “a standout performer” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2016 where he studied both composition and performance with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. Among many distinctions, Foley was the winner of the 2014 Sphinx Competition and 2011 Senior Division International Society Bassist Competition. As such, he has appeared as soloist on numerous stages, including with the Atlanta Symphony, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Nashville Symphony. Foley made his Carnegie Hall solo debut with the Sphinx Virtuosi, with which he was also the soloist on East and West coast tours. He also performed in Carnegie Hall as principal bass of the New York String Seminar Orchestra.
Foley will be performing Bottesini’s impressive Concerto No. 2 for double bass and orchestra. Fittingly, Bottesini was known as “the Paganini of the double bass” and was famous for an impressive control of his massive instrument. As a result, his second concerto for double bass and orchestra stands as one of the most studied and performed pieces in the bass repertoire!
The concert will open with Respighi’s beloved Gli uccelli (The Birds). This suite was written in 1928 in an attempt to imitate the various sounds of birds including transcriptions of birdsongs, fluttering wings, and scratching feet. The evening will conclude with Schubert’s Symphony No. 4, completed in 1816 when the composer was only 19 years old.
With Xavier Foley’s solo performances described as “unforgettable” and “wrenching” this is not a concert to miss! Join the GSO on November 21 or 23 for Italian Inspirations!
Who: Dmitry Sitkovetsky, conductor Xavier Foley, double bass
The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
What: Tanger Outlets Masterworks Series – Italian Inspirations
Respighi – Gli uccelli (The Birds)
Bottesini – Concerto No. 2 in B minor for double bass and orchestra Schubert – Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417
When: November 21, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. November 23, 2019, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Dana Auditorium, Guilford College – 710 Levi Coffin Dr., Greensboro, NC 27410
Tix: greensborosymphony.org / ticketmaster.com / GSO Box Office: 336-335-5456 x224
Price: $46, $40, $34, Students $6
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THE RICE TOYOTA SITKOVETSKY & FRIENDS CHAMBER SERIES
Who: Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Violin; Xavier Foley, Double Bass; The Greensboro Symphony
What: The Rice Toyota Sitkovetsky & Friends Chamber Series
Gliere – Intermezzo and Tarantella for double bass and piano
Foley – Gravity Waltz for double bass and piano
Boccherini – Sonata in G major for cello and double bass
Foley – Cranberry Juice for cello and double bass
Prokofiev – Quintet, Op. 39 for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and double bass
Foley – Hibernation for violin and double bass
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, and double bass
When: Friday, November 22, 2019, at 7:30 pm
Where: Theatre at Well-Spring, 4100 Well Spring Dr., Greensboro, NC 27410
Price: $32 (STUDENTS $6)
Tickets: greensborosymphony.org / ticketmaster.com / GSO Box Office: 336-335-5456 x224