Ars Viva features concerto competition winner Nathan Walhout

The Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, awarded the 2013 Skokie Fine Arts Award for Excellence, concludes
its 2013-2014 season on Sunday, May 4th at 3:00 p.m. at
the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. 

The program consists of three rarely heard masterpieces:

Josef Suk: Fantastic Scherzo 

Ernest Bloch:  Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for Violoncello
and Orchestra (Nathan Walhout)

Johannes Brahms:
Piano Quartet in g minor, Op. 25   arranged for orchestra by Arnold Schönberg



At
this season finale concert listeners who live in fear of
Schöenberg need not worry: his orchestration of one of Brahms’ greatest chamber
works is an artistic achievement of the highest order, so successful in
bringing the music into the orchestral realm that it is often labeled, “Brahms’
Fifth.” A reprise of the audience favorite Fantastic Scherzo by Dvorak’s pupil and son-in-law
will preface a solo appearance by another stellar performer from the Music
Institute of Chicago (MIC) Academy program.

This
year’s MIC concerto competition winner is cellist Nathan Walhout, 17.  Walhout will perform the Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque, from Ernest Bloch’s Jewish Cycle.  A student of Gilda Barston, Walhout is the
Susan and Richard Kiphart Fellow Laureate at the Music Institute of Chicago
Academy.  In addition to his solo work,
Nathan is active with Trio Solaris, coached by Sang Mee Lee and Roland
Vamos. 

Founded
in 1995 by Music Director Alan Heatherington, the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra
is composed of the finest professional musicians in the Chicago metropolitan
area, including many members of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Thoughtful, challenging programming
demonstrates a commitment to excellence and artistic vitality that sets Ars
Viva apart from other orchestras. It is the goal of Ars Viva not only to
present an interesting variety of music at the highest level of performance
quality, but to help audiences engage with the music in new ways. Heatherington, recipient of Chicago Classical Review’s 2013 Distinguished Achievement Award is known for his creative programming
and entertaining comments to the audience, illuminating the music. 

The
popular Music for Life program accompanies
each of Ars Viva’s concerts.  The program
concept is simple:  parents bring their
children to the concerts and sit together to hear the orchestra. After the first
piece on the program, children ages 4 to 7 leave the auditorium with professional
educators from the Music Institute of Chicago to go to their classroom right in
the building. At intermission, the older children (8 to 11) go to their
classroom. The children learn more about the music they have heard.  Instructors use visual arts, drama,
storytelling, and movement to stimulate the children’s imagination and
creativity.  With an accompanying adult,
the children are admitted to the concert and Music for Life free of charge.

Single
tickets are $36–70 with discounts for seniors and youth.  The concert and the Music for Life program begin at 3:00
p.m. on Sunday, February 9, 2014 at the North Shore Center for the Performing
Arts in Skokie.  Ample free parking is available and the
building is handicapped accessible.  For
complete information, call 855 ARS-VIVA (277-8482) or purchase tickets at http://www.arsviva.org.