The University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra presents a strong lineup of performers for its 2013-2014 season. “We are very excited about this season, the excellent works and soloists who will be featured, as well as some of the more unusual offerings,” says Donald Portnoy, conductor and director of music.
On Sept. 19, Misha Dichter, a giant presence in the piano world, will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43. Dichter’s success in music started in 1996 when he won the silver medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition when he was just 20. Since then, he has grown into a legendary pianist.
In October, trumpeter James Ackley and bassist Craig Butterfield, both members of the USC School of Music faculty, will take the spotlight. Ackley is an internationally-acclaimed trumpet solo artist, while Butterfield is known not only as a jazz artist but also as a classical soloist and clinician.
Cellist Jiapen Nie and guest conductor Zhonghui Dai will perform works by Tchaikovsky in a November concert. The orchestra also will present a special off-season concert in November commemorating the 70th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgaria’s Jewish population from the Holocaust. The Third Songs of Life Festival will be conducted by Donald Portnoy, and the orchestra will be accompanied by guest choir Philip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble of Bulgaria.
A January concert spotlights winners of the USC School of Music concerto-aria competition and student conductors, joined by the Lake Murray Symphony. In February, the compositions of American musical theater composers Alan Jay and Frederick Loewe will light up the stage. The March concert is complete with concert acrobats of the Cirque de la Symphonie, and the April concert, showcasing the talent of violinist Catherine Cho, concludes an extraordinary season of music.
