RELEASE: Perry Gilmore Returns to Center Stage with Saint-George’s Violin Concerto No. 9

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Perry Gilmore Returns to Center Stage with Saint-George’s Violin Concerto No. 9
American Conductor Kazem Abdullah Makes His Omaha Symphony Debut
Less-Heard Composers Farrenc, Saint-Georges Celebrated in this Symphony Joslyn Concert

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 18, 2022—Omaha Symphony Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore returns as a soloist with the Omaha Symphony for the first time since 2019 performing Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges Violin Concerto No. 9 while the Germany-based American conductor Kazem Abdullah makes his Omaha Symphony debut. The two join with the musicians of the Omaha Symphony in a presentation of some of the repertoire’s most wonderful hidden gems spanning the 18th and 19th centuries by Emmanuel Chabrier, Manuel de Falla and Louise Farrenc.

Perry Gilmore Plays Saint-Georges will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6 at the Joslyn Art Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall. Ticket holders are invited to arrive early for the Joslyn Art Museum curator-led pre-concert talk at 1 p.m. and 1:25 p.m.

“I’m thrilled to be presenting Saint-Georges’ Concerto No. 9 with my colleagues,” said Omaha Symphony Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore. “Saint-Georges was not only a fantastic composer and conductor, he was also a virtuosic violinist himself—and it shows in this concerto. Important repertoire by Black composers has long been ignored by music history, so this re-emergence of works from Joseph Bologne and others is refreshing and desperately needed.”

Performance Details:

Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m.
Joslyn Art Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall
Pre-concert gallery talk at 1 and 1:25 p.m.

Kazem Abdullah, conductor

Susanna Perry Gilmore, violin

CHABRIER: “Fete Polonaise” from The Reluctant King

FALLA: The Three-Cornered Hat, Suite No. 1

SAINT-GEORGES: Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8

LOUISE FARRENC: Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36

About Susanna Perry Gilmore

Susanna Perry Gilmore enjoys a multifaceted career as solo artist, chamber musician, and orchestral concertmaster. Performing on both modern and period instruments and versatile in diverse styles from classical to fiddling, she is hailed as a player who is both “thrilling and sensitive” by the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “luminous and hypnotic” by the Omaha World-Herald and “authentic with exquisite good taste” and “rich in tone, bringing musical depth and a human touch” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Perry Gilmore joined the Omaha Symphony as concertmaster in 2011. Since 2014 she has been a frequent soloist and co-concertmaster on baroque violin and fiddle with the acclaimed period instrument ensemble and Grammy Award winner Apollo’s Fire (Cleveland), with whom she tours nationally and internationally and appears on the CD Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering (Billboard Top 10 classical bestseller), the CD Sephardic Journey: Wanderings of the Spanish Jews (Billboard Top 10 classical bestseller), and Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain.

Ms. Gilmore holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oxford University (UK), where she studied musicology and performed both early music and symphonic repertoire while studying privately with Yfrah Neaman. She spent a post-graduate year in the Advanced Solo Studies Program at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Upon returning to the United States, she earned a Master’s in Violin Performance from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with James Buswell.

When not working as a classical and baroque violinist and fiddler, Ms. Gilmore spends time with her two daughters, Katy and Zoe, and her husband, Viseslav Drincic. She performs on a 1776 Joseph Odoardi violin.

About Kazem Abdullah

American conductor Kazem Abdullah currently lives in Nürnberg, Germany. He was Music and Artistic Director of the City of Aachen, Germany from 2012 to 2017. During his tenure, he succeeded in reaching newer and diverse audiences through innovative programming and moving out of the concert hall, and into atypical venues. In addition to exploring new venues to bring concerts to audiences and experimenting with juxtapositions of styles in non-traditional concert formats, he also performed over 25 operas and collaborated with musicians such as Johannes Moser, Lise de la Salle, Angela Gheorghiu, Augustin Haedelich and Midori.

A passionate advocate of new music as well as established repertoire, Mr. Abdullah continues to develop relationships with national and international orchestras and opera houses. Among his recent orchestral credits are the symphony orchestras of Oregon, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In addition to his symphony engagements, he recently conducted an opera Gala for the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the American premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s opera Brokeback Mountain with the New York City Opera, and Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda for Cape Town Opera.

Trained as a clarinetist, Kazem Abdullah has performed extensively as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, and soloist. He spent two seasons as a member of the New World Symphony and has performed as a soloist with many orchestras including the Cincinnati and National Symphony Orchestras. He has also performed with prominent chamber ensembles such as the Paris based Trio Wanderer and the Auryn Quartet.

Ticketing Information

Tickets for Perry Gilmore Plays Saint-Georges start at $35. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.omahasymphony.org, through the Ticket Omaha app, or by calling Ticket Omaha at 402.345.0606. Student rush tickets are $10 and can be purchased one hour before the performance. Performance dates are subject to change. In the event of performance changes or cancellations, the Omaha Symphony will email ticket holders to inform them of new dates and ticketing options. Patrons with questions may email ticketomaha@o-pa.org. The Omaha Symphony also regularly posts performance updates at omahasymphony.org, along with the Omaha Symphony’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. Patrons can sign up for the latest updates at omahasymphony.org.

Public Health Information

The safety of our patrons, musicians, staff, and community is the Omaha Symphony’s priority. The Omaha Symphony continues to work closely with the Douglas County Department of Health and our partners at Omaha Performing Arts and UNMC to ensure the safety of all involved in the Omaha Symphony’s return to live performances. All patrons will be required to complete a health screening questionnaire prior to accessing their mobile tickets via the Ticket Omaha app. Masks are required at indoor Omaha Symphony performances.

Find the most up-to-date public health information at omahasymphony.org/public-health.

The Omaha Symphony is a non-profit organization that presents more than 100 live orchestral performances from September through June. In addition to Masterworks, Symphony Pops, Symphony Rocks, Movies, Symphony Joslyn, and Family series concerts, the Omaha Symphony’s nationally recognized education and community engagement programs touch the lives of more than 40,000 people each year. For tickets or information regarding the Omaha Symphony, call 402-345-0606 or visit omahasymphony.org. Programs, artists, dates, times, prices, and availability are subject to change.

Find high-resolution photos, press releases, event calendars, and more in our press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jg9cflnlt9tlq9t/AABGbzsKtXGXEctBcSrIQYQBa?dl=0

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