Tucson classical music fans will be reintroduced to an old violinist friend and meet a new one at a pair of concerts this weekend.
Former Tucson Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Steven Moeckel takes centerstage with the volunteer Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra to open its season while the TSO introduces the young Spanish violinist Francisco Fullana as its 2022-23 Artist in Residence.
Moeckel will perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major while Fullana, who Los Angeles Philharmonic Conductor Gustavo Dudamel proclaimed an “amazing talent” and the Buffalo News described as “frighteningly awesome,” performs what the TSO is describing as “an electrifying reinterpretation” of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.”
Tchaikovsky’s iconic Violin Concerto anchors SASO’s program that includes Tchaikovsky’s emotionally-charged Symphony No. 4 and the fanfare overture of Rossini’s comic opera “The Barber of Seville.” This weekend’s concerts mark a return to a Tucson stage for Moeckel, the Phoenix Symphony concertmaster who spent six seasons as the Tucson Symphony Orchestra concertmaster before leaving in 2008.
The community orchestra, under the baton of longtime Music Director Linus Lerner, will perform the concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at DesertView Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive in SaddleBrooke; and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 7575 N. Paseo del Norte in Oro Valley. Tickets for SaddleBrooke are $30 through tickets.saddlebrooketwo.com; St. Andrew’s tickets are $25, free for anyone 17 and younger, through sasomusic.org.
Fullana, 32, debuts with the TSO to perform “Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons,” the British composer Richter’s 2012 reimagining of the iconic work. Richter ditched 75% of Vivaldi’s original material but the parts that remained of the Baroque masterpiece are woven and looped in to give it a more minimalist, post-modern vibe.
The orchestra, under the baton of Music Director José Luis Gomez, also will perform Muczynski’s “Serenade for Summer” and Haydn’s Symphony No. 64 “Tempora mutantur.”
“The Four Seasons Reimagined” opens the TSO’s MasterWorks series of chamber concerts, held at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. The orchestra will perform the concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets are $50 to $66 through tucsonsymphony.org.
Fullano is the TSO’s second artist-in-residence. Last year, Gomez introduced the program with Estonian bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann.
In addition to this weekend’s MasterWorks performances, Fullana will curate and perform an “Up Close” recital Nov. 5 and 6 at Tucson Symphony Center, 2175 N. Sixth Ave., off East Grant Road. The concert will feature a handful of TSO musicians and Fullana performing works by Spanish composers and 19th century Italian composer Luigi Boccherini’s Spanish-themed “Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid.” Tickets for those concerts are $22 through the TSO. Details: 520-882-8585.
