RIVER RHAPSODY
Steven Errante, conductor
Wilson Center @ CFCC
February 3, 2024
7:30 PM
Wilmington Symphony’s River Rhapsody concert will feature Schumann’s final symphony, Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish," which drew inspiration from one of Europe’s main rivers, the majestic Rhine River.
In addition, the concert will showcase the exceptional talents of the High School and UNCW Division winners of our 48th annual Richard R. Deas Young Artist Concerto Competition. Emily Bullard, High School Division winner and harpist, will perform Aria in Classic Style, Op. 19 by Marcel Grandjany. UNCW Division winner, Nicholas Strickland, will perform Alex Glazunov’s Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 109 on alto saxophone.
With such a stellar program, River Rhapsody will surely be a night of musical magic.
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Carl Maria von Weber: Overture to Oberon
Marcel Grandjany: Aria in Classic Style, Op. 19 (Music Underwritten by Richard & Diane Trubia)
Alex Glazunov: Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 109 (Music Underwritten by Richard & Diane Trubia)
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, “Rhenish” (Music Underwritten by C. Justin Smith in Memory of Larry D. Cook and Charles R. Woodward)
This concert is sponsored by:
GUEST ARTISTS
NICHOLAS STRICKLAND, ALTO SAXOPHONE
UNCW Division Winner, 2023 Richard R. Deas Young Artist Concerto Competition
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Nicholas Strickland is a Senior at UNC Wilmington pursuing a B.A. in Music Performance and is currently applying to graduate schools to further pursue saxophone performance. After studying piano for several years under the tutelage of Andy Whittington, Nicholas began at UNCW in Fall 2020, and studied saxophone with Dr. Frank Bongiorno and now studies with Gabriel Sánchez Porras. Performing in the UNCW Department of Music Honors Recital several times, Nic is a four-time recipient of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, & the Arts Dean’s Award. Along with performing in numerous ensembles in the Department of Music such as the Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Latin Combo; Nic has performed with the Wilmington Symphonic Winds, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra POPS, the OLLI New Horizons Band as both a performer and guest conductor, and the inaugural performance of the North Carolina Intercollegiate Honor Band, as well as teaching private lessons for both piano and saxophone at Port City Conservatory of Music.
Nicholas recently traveled as a member of the UNCW saxophone quartet “IV” to Fairfax Virginia to perform at the 44th International Saxophone Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Navy Band, as a part of the College Quartet Series.
EMILY BULLARD, HARP
High School Division Winner, 2023 Richard R. Deas Young Artist Concerto Competition
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Starting by playing the violin at the young age of four, Emily has been surrounded by music her entire life. She picked up the harp at the age of eight and is now a senior at Topsail High School, where she will graduate in May. Emily sang for the Girls Choir of Wilmington and had the opportunity to sing with them at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Recently, she has begun playing the harp for weddings and other special events as a way to make a name for herself in the public eye. Further highlighting Emily’s musical prowess, she plays the flute for her school’s band and has been accepted to play for the Eastern All District Band and All County Band multiple times.
Outside of the music world, Emily also expresses herself through figure skating for the Port City Skating Club, representing them in competitions. Once she graduates from high school, she will attend the Brinson Honors College at Western Carolina University, where she plans to major in Biology as a legacy student.
