New West Symphony Remembers the Holocaust with Two-Part Concert Series

The New West Symphony will present Duet of Remembrance commemorating the Holocaust and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps with a two-part dedicated concert series featuring Dreams on February 29 - March 1 and Violins of Hope on April 18 - 19. These remarkable programs mark the continuation of a year-long 25th anniversary season for the New West Symphony and inaugural season under new music director GRAMMY® winner Maestro Michael Christie.

Dreams concerts will be performed Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. at Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center. Violins of Hope concerts will take place Saturday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. at Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center. Two-concert ticket packages are available for a discounted rate starting at $54 - $216 and single tickets are available for $30 - $120 online at NewWestSymphony.org or by phone at (866) 776-8400.

"During the Duet of Remembrance series, we remember the Holocaust and honor the lives lost by performing the same music that provided hope during one of history's darkest chapters," said New West Symphony Music Director Michael Christie. "As a Symphony, we look to present musical performances that engage and inspire larger community conversations both about the musical component of the piece and also the stories and history associated with each piece."

Opening the Duet of Remembrance series is Dreams, a concert of uplifting music that acted as a beacon of hope during the darkest of times, including Brundibár (Czech for "bumblebee") composed by Hans Krása and Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

New West Symphony will be joined by the Los Robles Children's Choir for Brundibár as it was originally written for a children's opera competition in 1938 and performed by kids in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, yet encourages faith in humankind. The Symphony will also present A Midsummer Night's Dream interspersed with dialog from Shakespeare, by Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn's music was banned under the Hitler regime due to his Jewish heritage.

In April, Violins of Hope will feature select musicians performing on a collection of string instruments lovingly restored and with their own stories from the Holocaust - many that were played in concentration camps. New West Symphony will be the only Ventura County orchestra performing on the rare instruments. The program will feature Jonathan Leshnoff's Symphony No. 4 written exclusively for Violins of Hope and guest pianist Olga Kern will accompany the Symphony to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

The Duet of Remembrance series is part of New West Symphony's 2019-2020 Masterpiece series. The Masterpiece Series concludes with special guest violinist Sarah Chang performing Brahms (May 2-3). As part of its 25th anniversary season, New West Symphony has introduced enhancing concert intermission experiences including "Intermission Insights," a 10-minute Q&A with guest artists led by Maestro Christie immediately following the first half, and Entr'acte, a performance of a short contemporary piece performed at the end of intermission with the purpose of presenting new music to audiences.

New West Symphony Presents

Duet of Remembrance, a two-part concert series remembering the Holocaust

Dreams

Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center
4235 Mar Vista Dr., Camarillo, CA 93010

Violins of Hope

Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center
4235 Mar Vista Dr., Camarillo, CA 93010

PROGRAM:

Dreams

Michael Christie, conductor

California Lutheran University Choir, Women's Chorale and Areté Vocal Ensemble

Los Robles Children's Choir

Kingsmen Shakespeare Company

Krása | Brundibár

Mendelssohn | A Midsummer Night's Dream

ENTR'ACTE | Haas | Study for Strings

Violins of Hope

Michael Christie, conductor

Olga Kern, piano

Leshnoff | Symphony No. 4 "Heichalos"

Rachmaninoff | Piano Concerto No. 3

ENTR'ACTE | Bacewicz | Concerto for String Orchestra (Allegro)

TICKETS:

Duet of Remembrance two-concert ticket packages: $54 - $216

Single concert tickets: $30 - $120

Available for purchase at NewWestSymphony.org or by calling (866) 776-8400.