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PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 23, 2022 Media Contact: Susan Newsom, Marketing & Communications Manager 253-272-7264 ext. 2 | noopener noreferrer (mailto:snewsom@symphonytacoma.org) Symphony Tacoma Shares Stories of Struggle and Inspiration in Classics V CLASSICS V: FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP TO THE RIVER Saturday, April 30, 2022 | 7:30 pm Pantages Theater Sarah Ioannides, conductor Anthony McGill (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/0mpgtib), clarinet Vivian Fung (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/gfqgtib): Prayer Richard Danielpour (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/w7qgtib): From the Mountaintop Schumann: Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish” Tacoma, WA—Symphony Tacoma presents three compositions that tell stories of struggle and inspiration in Classics V: From the Mountaintop to the River (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/c0rgtib). Clarinetist Anthony McGill is the guest soloist for the concert on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 7:30 pm in the Pantages Theater. Composer Richard Danielpour found inspiration in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and the final speech he delivered before his death for From the Mountaintop. The work is filled with the vivid sadness and happiness, prayerfulness, joy and pain felt during the Civil Rights Movement as well as victims of injustice around the world. Of the concerti he’s written, it’s among Danielpour’s favorites. Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—and the orchestra’s first African American principal player—is the guest soloist. Hailed by The New York Times for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character, McGill is also an ardent advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in classical music. “It’s a real journey,” said McGill about From the Mountaintop. “It’s very exciting at the beginning. Then you go on an emotional roller coaster. At times, it’s so unbelievably sad … at other times, it’s grand and tragic sounding. And then the ending is devastatingly beautiful.” Danielpour imagined the clarinet as a minister and the orchestra his congregation, incorporating numerous call and response phrases to tell the story. “The piece feels very liturgical. When you see [McGill], he has the same sort of energy that you would encounter in a Southern Baptist church," said Danielpour. "I told Anthony, ‘You’re the only guy who can do this—I won’t write it if you won’t do it!’ ” Vivian Fung’s  % link:https://vivianfung.ca/music/prayer name="Prayer" content="Prayer" %] will open the program. Inspired by a chant from composer Hildegard von Bingen, this piece is Fung’s personal commentary on the extraordinary conditions she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Under no other circumstance … have I worn my heart on my sleeve as transparently as I have with this piece,” states Fung. “In times of crisis and peril, we have but the reliance of faith—from the profound faith in humanity, faith in love, and faith that we will persevere and get through this with dignity, to the mundane faith that I would complete the piece within the extraordinary conditions that faced me.” Closing out the program will be Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish.” Criticized in his earlier orchestral works for clumsy handling of the orchestra, his third symphony silenced his critics and demonstrated his brilliance as a composer. “I find such beauty, genius and spirituality in Schumann’s work, most especially in the great “Rhenish”,” comments Symphony Tacoma Music Director Sarah Ioannides. “The impressive response to the people, the land, the river and the incredible architecture of Cologne’s cathedral marks this symphony with a signature of what I consider his greatest work. Like Beethoven’s “Pastoral,” it falls into the rare selection of compositions that follow a five-movement structure. It is hard to imagine that Schumann struggled with schizophrenia—often the sad case of such great creativity and genius.” Tickets for this concert are on sale now through the Symphony Tacoma Box Office. Prices range from $24 to $85. To purchase tickets, visit symphonytacoma.org (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/sssgtib) or call 253-272-7264. Symphony Tacoma’s 2021-2022 season is generously sponsored by MultiCare and Tacoma Creates. The Classics V concert is sponsored by Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainer Region, Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Arts & Communication, Lakewold Gardens and South Sound Magazine. ABOUT THE SOLOIST: Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. In addition to his dynamic international solo and chamber music career, McGill is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—the first African American principal player in the organization’s history. In 2020, he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of soloists who represent the highest level of musical excellence. He was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, McGill previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He is the Artistic Director for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program, a weekend program dedicated to students who demonstrate a commitment to artistic excellence, which actively seeks young musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music. ABOUT SYMPHONY TACOMA: Building community through music. Inspiring audiences with live musical experiences that transcend tradition, Symphony Tacoma has been a vital part of Tacoma's cultural landscape for 75 years. Today's Symphony Tacoma is a metropolitan professional symphony orchestra with more than 80 orchestral musicians and a volunteer chorus of 70. Now in her sixth season as Music Director for Symphony Tacoma, Sarah Ioannides is renowned for her passionate conducting, creativity, arts collaboration, and commitment to innovation and diversity. Keeping live musical performance alive in the heart of the region, Symphony Tacoma concertizes for an annual audience of nearly 20,000 citizens throughout Pierce County and the Greater Puget Sound area. www.symphonytacoma.org (https://t.e2ma.net/click/swj4gr/0qkb9lcc/8ktgtib) COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS: Symphony Tacoma is committed to providing a safe and healthy concert environment for audiences, musicians and staff for the 2021-2022 Season. All patrons are strongly encouraged to wear masks while attending Symphony Tacoma performances, whether or not they have been vaccinated. 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