Rebellion!
BAINBRIDGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Music Director & Conductor Mario Alejandro Torres
FEATURING: Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra and the Winner of the 2019 Young Artist Concerto Competition
The Program
JEAN SIBELIUS: Finlandia, Op. 26, with Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra
EDVARD GRIEG: Piano concerto in A minor, Op. 16, with Emily Jeeho Park, Winner of the 2019 Young Artist Concerto Competition
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
Read the Guest Column from Maestro Torres
Maestro Mario Alejandro Torres and the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra present a program dedicated to a pair of composers who have stood bravely against oppression and canalized the importance of this message through their masterful works. Received with great acclaim at their premieres, Sibelius’ Finlandia and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor lived on to establish a legacy that immortalized the composers. This program will also showcase the winner of our 2019 Young Artist Concerto Competition, Emily Jeeho Park.
Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra's four-concert classical series features a star-studded cast of guest performers, masterworks, beloved favorites, original compositions, and special collaborations. Performances continue on June 8 & 9, 2019.
Mario Alejandro Torres
Mario Alejandro Torres is a conductor, teacher, and performer native to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, Mr. Torres made his Benaroya Hall conducting debut in collaboration with Maestros Ludovic Morlot and David Alexander Rahbee in an exciting concert with the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra. For the past two years, he has served in a conducting fellowship with the Seattle Symphony, assisting Maestro Morlot in collaboration with artists such as Hilary Hahn and John Luther Adams. As the Music Director of Poulsbo Community Orchestra, he has brought a new and exciting sound to the ensemble. Outside of the United States, he has conducted performances with the Eddy Snijders Orchestra in Paramaribo, Suriname, and in his hometown with the professional Chamber Orchestra of San Pedro Sula, and Victoriano Lopez School of Music Choir.
As an advocate for Education, Mr. Torres serves as Assistant Conductor of the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra, where he is a candidate for the doctoral degree in orchestral conducting under the mentorship of David Alexander Rahbee and Seattle Symphony Music Director Ludovic Morlot. His energy and passion to work with young musicians have brought the UW Campus Philharmonia Orchestras to a higher level of artistic performance. He has also held teaching positions at the Victoriano Lopez School of Music in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Louisiana Academy of Music in Natchitoches, Louisiana. In his work for social inclusion, Mr. Torres has appeared internationally as a guest conductor and clinician for programs such as The National Music School of Suriname in South America and the Académie Musicale Occide Jeanty in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti.
As a violist, he has performed as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of San Pedro Sula, NSULA Symphony and Chamber orchestras, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and the Monteux School and Music Festival. He has been co-principal violist for Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and Shreveport Summer Music Festival. He has also played with Symphoria, Shreveport, Longview, Rapides, Marshall, and Costa Rica Symphony orchestras. Mr. Torres performed with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, and England.
Mr. Torres holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Ithaca College under the mentorship of Jeffery Meyer, and a Bachelor and a Master of Music in Viola Performance from Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA). Mr. Torres completed a professional program with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas’ Global Leaders Program, focusing in community leadership, teaching artistry, and social entrepreneurship. Mr. Torres also holds degrees in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration.
His wife Jenny is an active member of the community, supporting and engaging in activities with the Seattle Music Partners Program, and the Special Events department of the Seattle Symphony
Emily Jeeho Park
Emily Jeeho Park, 16, is a junior at Skyline High School in Sammamish. She began her piano studies at the age of six-and-a-half and has been studying under Dr. Sasha Starcevich since the age of eight. Emily made her orchestral debut as a soloist with the Orquesta Filharmónica de la Universidad de Alicante, Spain at age 13. She has been a top prize winner in many competitions, including the Solo and Concerto divisions of the Eastside Music Teachers Association Scholarship Competition, the Chopin Northwest Competition, the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest, the Music Teacher National Association Competitions, and the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival. She was also awarded third prize at the 2017 ENKOR International Music Competition and more recently, Emily performed as a soloist with the Seattle Youth Symphony at Benaroya Hall as the winner of the 2018-2019 SYSO Concerto Competition. Additionally, she performed and was interviewed twice on air in a broadcasting of Classical King FM’s Northwest Focus Live as a finalist in the 2017 and 2018 Young Artist Awards. Emily has had the honor of working with renowned artists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, John Perry, Boris Slutsky, and Ilana Vered.
This past summer, Emily had the pleasure of performing with the Orchestra Sinfonica del Conservatorio “Luigi Cherubini” di Firenze at MusicFest Perugia in Italy, as well as attending the John Perry Academy of Music. In the upcoming year, she looks forward to competing in the Minnesota International Piano e-Competition and attending more festivals in the summer.
Aside from piano, Emily studies violin with Jan Coleman and plays in Seattle Youth Symphony and Evergreen Philharmonic, putting together chamber music to play for senior homes, and organizing fundraisers for her club, Girl Up.
Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra
The Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra (BIYO) was founded in 2001 as an orchestra training program for young string players seeking an ensemble experience. It has evolved into a three-tier orchestra program providing music education for the earliest emergent reader level to the advanced musician. BIYO’s goal is to train the student musician in the craft of orchestral playing while instilling a deep love for music and fostering development of a well-rounded individual.
Tickets
Adults - $21.00 USD
Discounted - $18.00 USD
Youth 18 and under (free with paying adult) - $0.00 USD
Youth in Music Initiative: Please phone the BPA Box Office at 206.842.8569 to take advantage of this offer for youths, 18 and under.
Performances
April 13 & 14, 2019