The Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the concert entitled "Velvet", dedicated to the opus of the American composer Aaron Copland, on March 30, starting at 20:XNUMX p.m.

On the program are the Third Symphony and the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Copland, and one of the best clarinetists on the world music scene at the moment - Sharon Cam, will perform as a soloist. The conductor is maestro Konrad van Alphen from the Netherlands.

Aaron Copland (1900-1990) is an exceptional composer who created a rich musical oeuvre that reflects a typical "American sound". They call him "the dean of American composers", "the father of American classics". His music reflects the colorfulness of American culture in fusion with the influences of cultural heritage, the Macedonian Philharmonic notes.

Aaron Copland began writing the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in 1947 as a commission from the famous jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman. The concert premiered on November 6, 1950 with the NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner. Some historians claim that, in fact, it was not the world premiere of this work, but the performance with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy, which took place on November 28 of the same year.

Symphony no. 3, Copland began writing it in 1944 in Mexico. His style changed and varied dramatically during the 1930s – he wrote compositions inspired by jazz, but also by neoclassicism and modernism. He was working on a commission from conductor Sergei Koussevitzky on a work that was to be dedicated to his wife Natalya, and this influenced the symphony's lyrical character. He completed it in 1946 and it was premiered by the Boston Philharmonic under Koussevitzky's baton in October of that year. Copland called it "a great American symphony – touching hearts".

Sharon Cam is one of the leading clarinetists on the world music scene who has been performing as a soloist with the most famous orchestras in the USA, Europe and Japan for the last 20 years.

Mozart's masterpieces have been a major focus in her repertoire since the beginning of her career. At the age of 16, she performed Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, with which she debuted as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic led by the famous conductor Zubin Mehta. Shortly thereafter, he performed Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with the Guarneri String Quartet at Carnegie Hall in New York.

As part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, at the National Theater in Prague, she played Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, a performance broadcast live in 33 countries and released on DVD. In the same year, she realized her long-time dream, recording the same concert on a joint album with several musicians.

As a passionate chamber musician, Sharon Kam regularly performs with artists such as Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Daniel Miller-Schott, Caroline Widmann and the Jerusalem Quartet.

Apart from classical music, and her favorite composer – Mozart, Kam also premiered several works by contemporary composers, such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Herbert Wiley, Ivan Erode and Peter Ruzicka.

Her repertoire covers many different eras – from classical to modern music and jazz. She won the "Musician of the Year" award twice – for her performance of Weber with the Leipzig Orchestra conducted by maestro Kurt Mazur and for her album she recorded with the Leipzig Radio Orchestra of works by Spohr, Weber, Rossini and Mendelssohn.

Konrad van Alphen is an inspiring conductor who makes things happen, the Dutch maestro's review will write. Established Dutch/South African conductor Konrad van Alphen has gained popularity with both orchestras and audiences thanks to the distinctive way he conducts rehearsals and performances.

Maestro Van Alphen is artistic director and chief conductor of the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra. In the past 16 years, he has raised his orchestra to the level of being an internationally recognized orchestra and hosting concert series in Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam. The orchestra's recent international tours include Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Chile.

From 2005 to 2009, Konrad van Alphen held the position of chief conductor of the Safonov State Symphony Orchestra in Russia, where he received an award for his contribution to the culture of South Russia. At the moment, he is the artistic director of the "Moscow Philharmonic Society", within which he regularly conducts with orchestras from Moscow, in the famous "Tchaikovsky" hall. He is also a guest conductor with the orchestras of the well-known cultural centers in Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg.

In the past years, numerous orchestras around the world have performed under Van Alphen's baton, namely in: Holland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Israel, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, South Africa, China and Mexico. He recently made a successful debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra from Brussels, with the "Symfoniker" in Bochum and with the "Svetlanov" Symphony Orchestra in Moscow.

Konrad van Alphen was born in 1963 in Pretoria. After completing his musical studies at the age of 26, he moved to the Netherlands and held the permanent position of double bassist in the Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Beethoven Academy in Antwerp, Belgium, while simultaneously studying conducting under Eri Klass and Robero Benzi, pointed out from the Macedonian Philharmonic.