Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Second Concert of the 2020–21 Season Reimagined

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem Symphony’s commitment to bringing music to life has not changed despite the difficult situations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m., Music Director Timothy Redmond and symphony musicians will take the stage at the Stevens Center of UNCSA for the second time this season to present American Landscapes. This and other concerts this fall have been curated to feature music for a smaller orchestra that will accommodate socially distanced musicians on stage. These concerts will be live streamed online so the audience can view from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

The work of Winston-Salem’s own Dan Locklair is at the heart of a program that paints the American landscape on a sonic canvas. In Memory — H.H.L. is a dedication to Locklair’s own mother and recalls a familiar church hymn. Kirk Trevor, who recorded Locklair’s exquisite single movement elegiac composition with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, said “After the first read-through of In Memory — H.H.L. I realized we had found a worthy successor to the Barber Adagio. Here was a gorgeously crafted adagio for strings that had a new voice, but with the same hauntingly lush harmonies and intensity that makes the string orchestra such a beautiful vehicle in the concert hall.”

Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, long an audience favorite, is presented in its original ballet score for 13 players. The smaller number of players makes it perfect for proper social distancing among the musicians. The beauty and power of what is one of the true masterpieces of 20th-century music is in no way diminished by fewer musicians.

Czech composer Dvořák, who lived in America at the height of his fame, presents a shimmering and lively Serenade for strings alone. With its graceful and gentle opening followed by wistful melancholic moments, lively and energetic sequences, and achingly beautiful melodies and lush harmonies, Dvořák’s five-movement Serenade for Strings is one the composer’s most popular works.

To experience the online live streamed American Landscapes, attendees are invited to purchase a Stage Pass. In August, the symphony launched Stage Pass, a membership program that provides members with private links to view all concerts that the Winston-Salem Symphony produces during its 2020–21 season. Stage Pass also provides members access to a “backstage” section of the Symphony’s website that includes musician interviews, behind-the-scenes extras, and past performances. The symphony has eight concerts planned between October and May, all of which are included with Stage Pass, and is available for $75 at wssymphony.org/stagepass. One-time access pass to this concert is also available for $20.

American Landscapes is sponsored by: A Season Remimagined Presenting Sponsors BB&T Wealth/Truist and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Guest Composer Sponsor Womble Bond Dickinson; Timothy Redmond Season Sponsor Betty Myers Howell; Etherbound Presenting Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council.

The Winston-Salem Symphony acknowledges the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis and the lack of clarity regarding the duration of the pandemic. Though the symphony is working diligently to create safe alternatives to a typical season, the organization is prepared to respond if circumstances necessitate changes to its musical offerings. Should the symphony need to cancel or reschedule concerts, the symphony will communicate with Stage Pass holders through traditional communication mechanisms.