Spring Concert
Greenwall Auditorium, VAPA Building, Bennington College, One College Drive, Bennington, VT 05201
Sponsored by People's United Bank
Sage City Symphony's final performance of the season features Dvořák's exciting Symphony No. 7, as well as the world premiere of a work by Bennington native Leo Yucht, an up-and-coming jazz percussionist and composer now based out of NYC. Rounding out the program is “Fanfare,” written to precede the ballet “La Péri,” by Paul Dukas. (Dukas is perhaps best remembered for his orchestral piece “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which was notably used in Disney’s 1940 animated film “Fantasia.”)
A graduate of MAUHS ('13) and William Paterson University ('17), Leo Yucht has performed with some of the most acclaimed musicians in the world, including Jon Batiste, Aaron Goldberg, Harold Mabern, Pete Malinverni, and many more. Yucht performs regularly in the New York metropolitan area with his band and also as a sideman with other world-renowned jazz artists.
Yucht's composition, simply titled “E,” is dedicated to his wife, Ekin. “The piece is my tribute to her,” he says. “She is a special person and I feel lucky that I get to write it for her.” Yucht adapted his original melody for Sage City Symphony’s strings, a few wind instruments, and glockenspiel, which will accompany his jazz quartet. In describing his process, he says, “Musically, I drew inspiration from many historical recordings of a similar nature; for example, Charlie Parker’s ‘Bird with Strings,’ ‘Clifford Brown with Strings,’ Wayne Shorter’s ‘Without a Net.’ I feel that the piece is dynamic. It is not simply ‘this’ or ‘that’; rather, it embodies a spectrum of moods and sounds.” This work was commissioned by Sage City Symphony as part of its mission to support new composers.
Sage City Symphony is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, registered in the State of Vermont, and relies entirely on generous donations, grants, and volunteer services from individuals, local foundations, businesses, and sponsors. Concerts are always free and open to all.