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Joey Burdette
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The Winston-Salem Symphony Presents Classics Series Concert Concerto (R)Evolution
Music Director Candidate Vladimir Kulenovic to Conduct with Guest Cellist Julian Schwarz
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (October 26, 2022) – The Winston-Salem Symphony presents its next Classics Series concert cycle for the 2022–23 season entitled Concerto (R)Evolution. The concert features guest conductor Vladimir Kulenovic, one of six candidates for the Symphony’s Music Director position. This performance highlights the music of Joseph Haydn (Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major), Béla Bartók (Concerto for Orchestra), and early 20th-century African American composer Florence Price (Concert Overture No. 2).
Music Director candidate Vladimir Kulenovic returns to the Winston-Salem Symphony with a program that focuses on revolutionary composers and the evolution of the concerto form. A concerto, which is a piece of music with a solo musician accompanied by the full orchestra, is a standard part of most orchestra programs. This concert takes the concerto to the next level. It opens with a concert overture, moves into a traditional concerto showcasing the talent of soloist Julian Schwarz, and concludes with a concerto for orchestra, where each section of the ensemble has a chance to act like a soloist by demonstrating their skill and virtuosity. The vibrant program evokes the setting in which the individual evolves into a collective. An eager Kulenovich stated, “among the many reasons I am excited to return to the Winston-Salem Symphony, team spirit stands out above all. It is the catalyst behind our boundless inspiration, our open book of ideas, and our endurance to bring them to life with excellence.”
Concerto (R)Evolution concert takes place on Saturday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 13, at 3 p.m. at the Stevens Center of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, 405 West Fourth Street, in downtown Winston-Salem. Tickets begin at $25 and are available by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145 or online at wssymphony.org.
“We hope you’ll join us in welcoming our third Music Director candidate in the concert hall for some wonderful and exciting music. We encourage you to join us at the various events throughout the week to meet Vladimir Kulenovic, who is a highly acclaimed and dynamic conductor. We want audience input as we choose our next Music Director and would love to know what you think of his presence both on and off the stage,” said E. Merritt Vale, Winston-Salem Symphony President & CEO.
The public is invited to several opportunities to interact with Vladimir Kulenovic throughout the week leading up to the concert. There will be an open coffee and meet and greet on Thursday, November 10, from 10:30–11:30 a.m. at the Southside Branch Library, 3185 Buchanan Street. Symphony by the Glass returns to The Caviste, 1100 Reynolda Road, on Thursday, November 10, from 5–6:30 p.m. and provides an opportunity to hear from Kulenovic while listening to Symphony musicians and enjoying wines paired with the music of Price, Haydn, and Bartók.
Another chance to meet the Music Director candidates is at the Symphony’s Music Lovers’ Luncheon. This fun and informative pre-concert event feature a discussion between Music Director Candidate Vladimir Kulenovic and guest artist Julian Schwarz on Friday, November 11, from 12–1:30 p.m. Attendees have a chance to learn about the weekend’s programming while enjoying a gourmet lunch. Attendees will gain insights into the music presented and learn more about the performers’ careers and backgrounds. The lunch is $35 per person, and advanced registration is required. Visit wssymphony.org/luncheon for more information and to make a reservation. The Music Lovers’ Luncheon will take place at Footnote Coffee & Cocktails, located at 434 West Fourth Street, downtown beside Bookmarks.
After the Saturday concert, patrons can walk across the street from the Stevens Center for a drink at The Ginger Fox. Kulenovic and other orchestra musicians will be on hand to mix and mingle.
Recognized as “a conductor with uncommon talent” and honored as “Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music” by the Chicago Tribune, Vladimir Kulenovic has emerged as one of the finest conductors of his generation. Winner of the Sir Georg Solti Foundation’s highest conducting award, “Solti Conducting Fellow,” Kulenovic continues to attract attention from prominent orchestras worldwide. Kulenovic was Music Director of the Lake Forest Symphony (greater Chicago area), where his leadership achieved unprecedented growth. He also served as Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, Assistant Conductor with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Principal Conductor of the Kyoto International Festival in Japan, and Resident Conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic in his native Serbia. Kulenovic holds graduate degrees in conducting from The Juilliard School, where he studied with James DePriest, and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Gustav Meier. For more information, please visit vladimirkulenovic.com.
Only 31 years old, Julian Schwarz has been heralded as a cellist destined to rank among the greatest of the 21st century. Schwarz was born to a multigenerational musical family in 1991. Following his concerto debut at 11 with the Seattle Symphony and his father Gerard Schwarz on the podium, Schwarz made his U.S. touring debut with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2010. In 2013, Schwarz won first prize in the professional cello division of the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Hong Kong before winning first prize at the Boulder International Chamber Music Competition’s “The Art of Duo” in 2016. Schwarz is an ardent supporter of new music and often commissions new works. A devoted teacher, he serves as Assistant Professor of Cello at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University. Schwarz studied at the Academy of Music Northwest, the Colburn School, with Ronald Leonard and received both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School. He plays a Neapolitan cello made by Gennaro Gagliano in 1743. For more information, please visit julianschwarz.com.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
Proud to be one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, the Winston-Salem Symphony will celebrate its 75th Anniversary across 2022. The Symphony inspires listeners of all ages throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad with various concerts, education programs, and community engagement initiatives each year.
This concert and the Winston-Salem Symphony are supported by Season Presenting Sponsors Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; 2022 Classics Series Guest Artist Sponsors Salemtowne; 75th Anniversary Gala Diamond Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online at wssymphony.org or by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145.
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