International recording artist and cello soloist with the major symphonies of the world, Inbal Segev, will join the Brevard Philharmonic on Sunday, April 17th at 3pm in the Porter Center at Brevard College. She will perform Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, opus 85.
The Philharmonic will open the program with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, opus 20a. Ms Segev, who has been playing the cello since the age of five, made her professional debut at the age of 17 with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, both led by Zubin Mehta. An Isaac Stern discovery, she made her way to the United States and earned degrees from Juilliard and Yale. Today, Inbal is Manhattan based, but her touring and recording career take her all over this country, Europe and Israel.
She is a founding member of the Amerigo Trio with former New York Philharmonic concertmaster, Glenn Dicterow and violinist, Karen Dreyfus. Her many honors include top prizes at the Pablo Casals International Competition and the Washington International Competition. For the Sunday Philharmonic concert she will join the orchestra to play the Elgar, which has been called, “One of the greatest cello concertos of all time.”
The piece wasn’t particularly well received at its debut; however, the root of the problem didn’t lie in the piece itself, but in a lack of rehearsal time. The concerto has gone on to become the work of Elgar’s which probably has the most universal appeal, even though its inspiration came from a very specific moment in time.
During and after the destruction of most of Europe during the first World War, Elgar almost stopped composing. After the war, he poured his feelings into four works that rank among his finest. The fourth of these is the cello Concerto in E minor...Elgar’s lament for a lost world. The piece as performed by Ms Segev will showcase what critics have called, “Her ferocious energy,” and her “richly inspired” playing. This romantic afternoon opens with the philharmonic playing the familiar Swan Lake Suite, opus 20a. The piece has a charming backstory. Tchaikovsky spent his summer breaks in the Russian countryside at his sister’s home where he loved to dream up musical activities for his nieces and nephews. The ballet Swan Lake has its origins in a summer diversion which starred his brother Modest playing the prince, his ten year old niece Tatyana dancing Odette and Tchaikovsky himself acting as choreographer. By 1876 this small piece had blossomed into the ballet Swan Lake and had its debut at the Bolshoi.
The concert is sponsored by Karla Atkinson, Jinks Ramsey and Mary S. Sauerteig in memory of Renee Braun. The Brevard Philharmonic is a non profit organization comprised of local and regional musicians, presenting six concerts annually at Brevard College’s Porter Center for the Performing Arts under the distinguished baton of Donald Portnoy, its artistic director and conductor. Its mission is to foster in the community and in our schools an appreciation for classical music and the performing arts.
A Conversation with Maestro Portnoy, beginning at 2pm, will be held in Scott Commons at the Porter Center before the concert. All are welcome. Individual tickets are $25 to $35 per concert. Call or stop into the Philharmonic box
office, located at 66 South Broad, inside Looking Glass Realty, 828-884- 4221 for details.
Or order with our new “pick your seat” option at brevardphilharmonic.org .
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