Tucson’s classical music gets into full swing this weekend with Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona Early Music Society all opening their seasons.
In the next couple weeks, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music opens its season and UApresents holds its first classical concert, featuring international piano great Lang Lang.
We caught up with Grammy-nominated violinist Jennifer Frautschi, to chat about Friday’s TSO season opening concert. She is soloing on 19th century Russian composer Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto.
Here are five things you should know about Frautschi and her performance with the TSO:
1. Her name rhymes with … : Grouchy.
2. She’s a friend of Tucson: Years ago she played recitals with the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, including premiering works penned for her by Tucson composer Dan Coleman, the TSO’s longtime composer in residence. This weekend marks her debut with the TSO. “I’m hoping to catch up with Dan Coleman and see a little bit of Tucson.”
3. Reuniting with an old friend: The last time she played the Glazunov Concerto she was pregnant with her now 5-year-old daughter. “Glazunov is actually a kinder, awkward piece. It all comes back very quickly, but at the same time I sort of have to stretch my fingers out to get them reacquainted. … I was playing through it the other day with the piano … I was thinking ‘wow some of these melodies and the orchestral accompaniment, the way they all run together are so incredibly gorgeous.’ It’s like finding a long-lost friend. This is why this is such a wonderful piece.”
4. We will like it, too: “The whole piece is played without pause. The first half is extremely melodic and has this lush orchestration and great counter melodies. It’s this very warm, romantic, rich world with lots of sonority from the violin and orchestra. … The last movement, the character changes. There are a lot of pyrotechnics and technical flashes with bang-kind of things, but with all this very characterful, dance-like mood that he sets.”
5. She’s been nominated for two Grammys: Both were for recordings of Schoenberg pieces and both were recorded with the Fred Sherry Quartet. She also is the winner of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. Her latest recording of the three Schumann sonatas for violin and piano comes out early next year. “Schumann is one of my favorite composers.” Next March, she will record the there Brahms violin sonatas.
TSO Conductor George Hanson will lead a pre-concert talk an hour before each performance.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
