“Born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Lucia Lin made her debut at age eleven, performing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the Chicago Symphony and went on to be a prize winner of numerous competitions, including the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Described as a soloist with “virtuosity and insight” who is “passionate and graceful” (Indianapolis Star), and whose playing has “a genuine fresh quality not often heard” (Cincinnati Enquirer), Ms. Lin has performed on the international stage, including appearances with orchestras in Europe as well as a solo recital at Carnegie Hall.
At the age of 22, she won a position in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She then went on to become acting concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and subsequently spent two years as Concertmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra, where she was leader for numerous tours, including to Japan, Italy, Scotland, and Spain.
A return to the U.S. in 1995 brought her back to the Boston Symphony. She also founded the Boston Trio and then became a member of the Muir String Quartet in 1998.
Lucia teaches applied violin, chamber music, and orchestral studies as Professor of Music at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. In the summers she participates in a mentorship program at the Tanglewood Music Center as well as an intensive quartet program at Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
As an accomplished dancer, she collaborated with the dance company Snappy Dance Theater in the world premiere of “String Beings”, an innovative piece integrating music with dance and technology. The work was performed at the Wimberley Theater in Boston where Ms. Lin “proved to be as fearless and fine a dancer as musician.”
Ms. Lin has recorded for many labels including a recent recording with the Muir String Quartet performing works of Kreisler, Berg and Schulhof. And most recently collaborated with harpist, Ann Hobson Pilot and bandoneon player, J.P. Jofre, featuring the works of Astor Piazzolla.”
Heidi Dallin shares a reminder about this weekend’s gorgeous concert program:
CAPE ANN SYMPHONY 71st SEASON
March 19, 2023 2:00 PM
Brahms, Dvorak
& featuring special guest soloist, Blaise Déjardin – Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist
Cape Ann Symphony’s 71st Concert Season continues on Sunday, March 19 at 2 pm with Brahms, Dvorak & Déjardin featuring the CAS return of Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Blaise Déjardin at the CAS performance venue, Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. For tickets or information, call 978-281-0543 or visit http://www.capeannsymphony.org
The orchestra opens the concert with Brahms’ powerful Symphony No. 1 in c minor, a piece which Brahms struggled with for years to complete. Cape Ann Symphony welcomes back Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal cellist Blaise Déjardin to close the concert with Dvorak’s stirring Cello Concerto. Déjardin made his CAS debut in March 2017 with his acclaimed performance of Saint-Saens’ elegant Cello Concerto.
“Our concert on March 19th will feature two great works and one amazing soloist,” points out CAS Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa.
“The Brahms Symphony No. 1 took almost 20 years for Brahms to write and is full of passion and struggle. It’s a fiery piece, and a perfect match for the passionate Cello Concerto by Dvorak. Dvorak wrote this concerto here in America and is full of gorgeous melodies – one after another. Our soloist, Blaise Déjardin is the principal cellist of the Boston Symphony, and he is an incredible musician. The musicians of the orchestra and I are really looking forward to presenting this concert to our wonderful audience!”
Yoichi Udagawa
About Blaise Déjardin
Born in Strasbourg, France, cellist Blaise Déjardin made his orchestra debut at age fourteen, performing Haydn’s C Major Concerto at the Corum of Montpellier, France. He was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester, as well as a founding member of A Far Cry. A dedicated chamber musician, he spent two summers at Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists prior to joining the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2008. That same year, he gave the US premiere of Les formes du vent for cello solo by French composer Edith Canat de Chizy.
In 2010, he founded the acclaimed Boston Cello Quartet with three of his colleagues from the BSO cello section. The Boston Cello Quartet’s diverse playlist and fresh style quickly drew an international following ranging from seasoned symphonic audiences to modern music lovers who had never attended a chamber music concert.
An accomplished and in demand arranger as well, he has written numerous pieces for cello ensembles, which led to three consecutive ASCAP Plus Awards. Commissions include Yo-Yo Ma, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and A Far Cry. In 2013 he launched Opus Cello, his online sheet music publishing company.
A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, including a First Prize at the Maurice Gendron International Cello Competition (2005), he has performed as soloist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, the French Camerata, and many others.
In 2019 Déjardin released the album MOZART New Cello Duos with cellist Kee-Hyun Kim, featuring his own transcriptions. He also appears on both Boston Cello Quartet albums Pictures and The Latin Project. His first album as principal cello of the BSO, Ades Conducts Ades, was released by Deutsche Gramophone in 2020.
Mr. Déjardin holds a First Prize of Cello with highest honors from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique of Paris, as well as a Master of Music Diploma and a Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory in Boston. His main teachers were Philippe Muller, Laurence Lesser and Bernard Greenhouse. He now teaches privately and is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and the Tanglewood Music Center. He has served as Artistic Director of the Boston Cello Society since its creation in 2015.
About Cape Ann Symphony and Maestro Udagawa
Founded in Gloucester in 1951, the Cape Ann Symphony is a professional orchestra of over 70 players from throughout the New England area. They perform a subscription season of four concerts per year plus several Pops and youth concerts. The Symphony Board of Directors named Yoichi Udagawa the Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony in the summer of 2000 after a yearlong search. In addition to his leadership of Cape Ann Symphony, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Maestro. Udagawa is on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory where he teaches conducting. Frequently invited to guest conduct, Maestro Udagawa has worked with many different orchestras including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Nobeoka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Brown University Orchestra, the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Maestro Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. He is known for his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium which has helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. His programs often include premieres of new works – some specially commissioned for the orchestra — as well as great orchestral works across the symphonic repertoire and lively Pops programs. He is also an integral part of the Cape Ann Symphony Youth Initiative.
Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at age fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith. A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is an accomplished violinist and an avid fan of exercise and yoga.
The Cape Ann Symphony’s March concert: Brahms, Dvorak & Déjardin is Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium is handicapped accessible. Ticket prices are $45 for adults, $40 for senior citizens, $5 for Youth (12 years old and under). For information, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
Photos 1 : BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Dejardin, Guest Artist for March 19 Concert; Courtesy Photo Photo 2: CAS Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa Photo 3: BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Dejardin, Guest Artist for March 19 Concert; Photo Credit: Toby Oft
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“We are so excited to perform for our audience masterpieces of classical music by Beethoven and Brahms, but also the world premiere of a work by Charles Floyd commissioned by the Cape Ann Symphony.”
Maestro Yoichi Udagawa
Floyd’s Hymn for the Fallen
“Charles Floyd’s latest composition Hymn for the Fallen written for the Cape Ann Symphony is a moving memorial to those we have lost. We are thrilled to premiere this beautiful piece on March 20. Charles is a composer who has an amazing ability to create works that touch our hearts.”
Brahms’ Double Concerto
“We are very excited that violinist Lucia Lin and cellist Owen Young are returning to the Cape Ann Symphony to perform Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra. The Double Concerto is the last major work for orchestra that the great composer wrote, and it’s a masterpiece. The way he weaves the violin and cello part together with each other and the orchestra is beyond compare, and it has some of the most beautiful melodies he ever wrote.”
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7
“We will be closing the concert with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, one of his most popular works. It combines everything about the music of Beethoven we love. His rhythmic drive, dramatic gesture, energy as well as lyricism and humor. We are really looking forward to sharing this music with our audience.”
Charles Floyd’s new work Hymn for the Fallen.
Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello featuring Lucia Lin, violin, and Owen Young, cello.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
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Heidi Dallin shares a reminder about Cape Ann Symphony 70th season spring concert which sounds incredible!
Cape Ann Symphony’s 70th Concert Season continues on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at 2:00 pm at the Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA., featuring guest artists BSO violinist Lucia Lin and BSO cellist Owen Young, a poignant new work written for CAS by composer Charles Floyd, and classic works by Beethoven and Brahms. There will be no requirement for proof of vaccination nor Covid tests at this concert. The wearing of masks will be up to the individual. Single ticket prices are $45 for adults, $40 for senior citizens, $20 for students of any age; $5 for youth 12 years old and under. For information, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
Cape Ann Symphony Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa looks forward to the eclectic program on March 20,
“We are so excited to bring our audience not only masterpieces of classical music from Beethoven and Brahms, but also the world premiere of a Charles Floyd work commissioned by Cape Ann Symphony. What an exciting afternoon of music!”
Yoichi Udagawa, Cape Ann Symphony Music Dir. & Conductor
Violinist Lucia Lin and cellist Owen Young return to CAS to perform Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra. Maestro Udagawa points out,
“The Brahms’ Double Concerto is the last major work for orchestra that the great composer wrote, and it’s a masterpiece. The way he weaves the violin and cello parts together with each other and the orchestra is beyond compare, and it has some of the most beautiful melodies he ever wrote. We are thrilled to be performing this with violinist Lucia Lin and cellist Owen Young of the Boston Symphony.”
Udagawa is also eager to share Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 with CAS audiences,
“The Beethoven Symphony No. 7 is one of his most popular works, and it combines everything about the music of Beethoven we love. His rhythmic drive, dramatic gesture, energy as well as lyricism and humor.”
About Composer, conductor, pianist Charles Floyd
Composer, conductor and pianist, Charles Floyd has been heard in concert with more than 500 orchestras in classical and pops performances, including annual appearances with the Boston Pops Orchestra. His eleven-year partnership with singer Natalie Cole included the multiple GRAMMY® Award- winning tribute to Nat King Cole entitled “Unforgettable, With Love;” Also the Emmy Award-winning PBS Great Performances concert video of the same title. Charles Floyd last appeared with CAS in 2015 when he performed the world premiere of his Piano Concerto to a sold-out audience and two standing ovations. CAS Board President Fran White remembers the concert well, “The atmosphere in the building was electric! The audience would not let him leave the stage. Maestro Udagawa brought him back to the piano for an encore and he played an arrangement of America the Beautiful which he improvised as he played it! He received another standing ovation!”
About Hymn for the Fallen by Charles Floyd
Charles Floyd’s latest composition “Hymn for the Fallen” written for the Cape Ann Symphony is part of a larger work: The Fallen.
“Charles Floyd has written an incredible piece for Cape Ann Symphony. We are so proud to premiere this touching piece on March 20. Charles describes it so much better than I ever could, but I will say that we are really looking forward to preparing it and presenting it to our audience. Charles is a composer who has an amazing ability to create works that touch our hearts.”
Floyd wrote “Hymn for the Fallen” to highlight the sense of isolation and helplessness experienced since 2020. He describes the work as follows:
“Hymn for the Fallen” begins in isolation with violins commencing a tuneful exposition that is later joined by violas and cellos. The harmonies that build are bittersweet, but quite tonal in nature. Polytonality (the simultaneous use of two or more keys) plays a big role as a vehicle to prevent the emotional affect from feeling too ‘settled’ or too ‘sweet’. This is to reflect the notion that the emotional aspects of the past two years remain largely unsettled and unresolved. The final result is a haunting melody that is as sing-able as a hymn which (hopefully) does not gloss over the gravity of sadness rather than to honor with reverence the loss of a loved one. The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and the insurmountable loss of life as a result of it, various riots, fear, brutality, extremism, civil unrest, confusion, grief, and violence inspired me to create a series of works called The Fallen of which “Hymn for The Fallen” is one. The series is not intended to be performed in one sitting. Rather it is a collection of works on a series of difficult topics.”
Charles Floyd on his beautiful work, Hymn for the Fallen, commissioned by CAS
About BSO violinist Lucia Lin
BSO violinist Lucia Lin made her debut performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. Since then, she has been a prizewinner of numerous competitions, including the 1990 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. She has performed many solo recitals for the Cape Ann Symphony and throughout the U.S., making her New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in March 1991, and has appeared with the Boston Pops Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria. Ms. Lin is a member of the Muir String Quartet, the quartet in residence at Boston University. She is also a founding member of the Boston Trio and the chamber group Innuendo. Ms. Lin joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1985 and served as assistant concertmaster from 1988 to 1991 and 1996 to 1998.
About BSO Cellist Owen Young
Cellist Owen Young joined the BSO in August 1991. He is a frequent collaborator in chamber music concerts and festivals; he has also appeared as concerto soloist with numerous orchestras. One of the Cape Ann Symphony’s regular soloists, he also has appeared in the Tanglewood, Aspen, Banff, Davos, Sunflower, Gateway, Brevard, and St. Barth’s music festivals and is a founding member of the innovative chamber ensemble Innuendo. He has performed frequently with singer/songwriter James Taylor, including the nationally televised concert “James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre” in New York City. Mr. Young was formerly on the faculties of the Boston Conservatory, the New England Conservatory Extension Division, and the Longy School of Music; is currently on the faculty of Berklee College of Music; and is active in Project STEP (String Training and Education Program for students of color)
About Cape Ann Symphony
Founded in Gloucester in 1951, the Cape Ann Symphony is a professional orchestra of over 70 players from throughout the New England area. They perform a subscription season of four concerts per year plus several Pops and youth concerts. The Symphony Board of Directors named Yoichi Udagawa the Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony in the summer of 2000 after a yearlong search. In addition to his leadership of Cape Ann Symphony, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Maestro Udagawa is on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory where he teaches conducting. Frequently invited to guest conduct, Maestro Udagawa has worked with many different orchestras including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Nobeoka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Brown University Orchestra, the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Maestro Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. He is known for his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium which has helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. His programs often include premieres of new works – some specially commissioned for the orchestra — as well as great orchestral works across the symphonic repertoire and lively Pops programs. He is also an integral part of the Cape Ann Symphony Youth Initiative.
About Yoichi Udagawa
Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at age fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith. A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is also an accomplished violinist and an avid fan of exercise and yoga.
Buy tickets
Cape Ann Symphony’s Floyd, Beethoven, Brahms, Lin and Young Concert is Sunday, March 20, 2022, at 2:00 pm at the Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Single ticket prices are $45 for adults, $40 for senior citizens, $20 for students of any age; $5 for youth 12 years old and under. There will be no requirement for proof of vaccination nor Covid tests at this concert. The wearing of masks will be up to the individual. They will not be required. For information or tickets, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
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Can you imagine a more spectacular climax to the Cape Ann Symphony‘s most spectacular season? On Saturday (5/21) you can join Yoichi Udagawa and the top classical players on Boston’s North Shore for a stellar evening of music. This kind of concert doesn’t come along very often. Believe it or not, there are still tickets available for this Grand Finale. Get Tickets Here.
Watch this mesmerizing video to get you in the mood . . .
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CHARLES FLOYD’S WORLD PREMIERE
PIANO CONCERTO AT CAPE ANN SYMPHONY ON SUNDAY MARCH 23
Cape Ann Symphony presents the world premiere Concerto for Piano and Orchestra by renowned pianist and composer Charles Floydon Sunday, March 23 at 2:00 pm at the Cape Ann Symphony Performance Venue, Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. The March concert program also features the orchestra performing Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”and Brahms’ Tragic Overture. The Cape Ann Symphony concerts are held at the Manchester-Essex High School auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium is handicapped accessible. Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for senior citizens, $20 for Young Adults (19-24 years old) and Free for children age 18 and under.
Cape Ann Symphony Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa
Cape Ann Symphony’s Open Rehearsalof the concertis Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 pm. at the Manchester-Essex High School auditorium. The public is invited to the Open Rehearsal during which Conductor Udagawa, guest artist Charles Floyd and the orchestra is scheduled to work on the music in the Sunday afternoon concert. Conductor Udagawa will take questions from the audience following the Open Rehearsal. Admission to the Open Rehearsal is $10 for Adults and Free for Children 18 and under. For tickets and information about the concert or the open rehearsal, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
Even though this is a blog — and a blog is supposed to be an immediate YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST medium — people have been telling us we should talk more about what’s happening the day after our post because they often read the posts the next day. We get it. Not everybody sits at a computer all day — and even some of you who do have bosses that want you to get some work done, not surf the web all day. So here we go:
IT’S A BIG FRIDAY NIGHT on Cape Ann with music for every taste. If you play your cards right, you can get to at least 2 live shows. Start out with Linda Amero Menage a Trio at the Franklin or Mia Chung, Elisabeth Ann Larson and Soo Bae performing all three of Brahms Piano Trios at Shalin Liu in Rockport. Then finish up with Ned & The Big Babies @ Rhumb Line. Plus there’s plenty more for nearly every other musical taste. See the full lineup here.
Here’s a video for all you piano, violin and cello players of Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 where you can follow along with the score:
And here’s one of my favorite clips (if a bit wobbly) of Ned & the Big Babies. Don’t you just love that groove! Ned is always right there with you and he’s one of those great bass players who plays bass like he LOVES it, not like he’d rather be playing lead guitar.
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This simply doesn’t happen very often. All three Brahms Piano Trios performed by three world-class artists, acclaimed for their “technical brilliance,” “breathtaking virtuosity” and “smooth and stylish” in one evening at an acoustically perfect concert hall built especially for this kind of music — and it’s right in your own backyard. Oh, and did I mention it helps support the the students of the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras? Watch (and listen to) the video to see why Shalin Liu is THE place to be on Friday if you love Brahms or chamber music or student music programs or music in general! GET TICKETS NOW!
Lots of Cape Ann favorites perform in Gloucester tonight and tomorrow. Check out the full live music listing here.
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Good Morning Gloucester 