Cellist Richard Hirschl returns to Peoria and joins the PSO as soloist for the Shostakovich, widely considered to be one of the most difficult works for the cello. Hirschl’s last solo appearance with the PSO was in Brahms’s Double Concerto. 

Maestro Stelluto describes the Glinka as “A four minute musical roller coaster that delights all riders.”

Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 requires everything from the soloist – impeccable technique, inspired passion, searching intellect, and emotional maturity. Like much of his music, it is slightly autobiographical and depicts both his love of Russia and his “difficulties” with the Soviet system.

Tchaikovsky’s masterful Fourth Symphony is the first of his “psychological symphonies.” Also autobiographical, his is a story of inner struggle and eventual (possibly) triumph despite the relentlessness of Fate, which haunts this musical journey from the opening brass fanfare. Dramatic and emotional, Tchaikovsky describes this symphony as “life in an unbroken alternation of hard reality with swiftly passing dreams and visions of happiness.”

For more info: http://peoriasymphony.org/events/russian-masters/