Grammy Award-Winning Composer John Corigliano Speaks In Community Forums Friday And Saturday

5-time Grammy Award-winning composer John Corigliano visits Roosevelt High School and speaks in community forums ahead of Saturday concert

The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) hosts Grammy Award-winning composer John Corigliano for two days in Sioux Falls this Friday and Saturday. Mr. Corigliano will engage with local schools, composers, and the community in discussions surrounding his first symphony, culminating in a performance of the piece this Saturday on the SDSO's performance of Ravishing Rachmaninoff.

John Corigliano is one of the most celebrated composers in America, having won the Pulitzer Prize, as well as an Academy Award, the Grawemeyer Award, and five Grammy Awards. His scores have been performed by prominent orchestras all over the world, and he serves on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School of Music and holds the position of Distinguished Professor of Music at Lehman College, City University of New York.

At the Saturday performance, the SDSO will perform Mr. Corigliano's Grammy Award-winning Symphony No. 1. His First Symphony was composed as a memorial to the friends he lost during the AIDS epidemic, and was inspired by the 1987 NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which remains the world's largest community art project. Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances is also featured on the program.

Mr. Corigliano will be at the following events where he will hold conversation with the Sioux Falls community:

October 4, 2019

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Roosevelt High School - School Auditorium

John Corigliano to visit Roosevelt High School's Fine Arts Department to talk about his work and how to build a connection to others through art.

October 4, 2019

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Augustana University - Hamre Hall

John Corigliano to visit Augustana University to talk with Music Department students and staff as well as community members. This event is free and open to the public.

October 5, 2019

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Washington Pavilion - Third Floor Lobby

This event is for local composers to have an intimate discussion with John Corigliano about composing music and his journey as a world renowned professional composer.

October 5, 2019

6:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Washington Pavilion - Mary W. Sommervold Hall

Before the concert, John Corigliano and SDSO Music Director Delta David Gier contextualize the music and enrich the performance with background on the repertoire with Concert Insights.

The concert, sponsored by First National Bank, is Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 PM at the Washington Pavilion.

Purchase tickets for Ravishing Rachmaninoff by calling (605) 367-6000, by visiting the Washington Pavilion box office, or by going online to www.sdsymphony.org. People who have never attended a concert with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra can receive their first concert free through Crescendo. For more information, visit www.sdsymphony.org/offers/