Wesley Schulz to conduct works by Mahler and Weber

TACOMA, Wash. – Austrian composer Gustav Mahler liked to do his music on a grand scale—so grand that not only his music, but his numerous musicians often more than filled the auditorium space.

So in taking on a concert including Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, conductor Wesley Schulz had to call on not one, but two, local orchestras to perform the majestic piece. Luckily Schulz conducts two orchestras, so he had just the resources he needed in the University of Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra and Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra.

Led by Schulz, the orchestras will perform together in two afternoon concerts. On Saturday, March 4, at 3 p.m. they will appear at Bainbridge High School, at 9330 High School Road NE on Bainbridge Island. On Sunday, March 5, at 4 p.m. they will perform in Schneebeck Concert Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus, a short walk northeast of the corner of N. 14th Street and Union Avenue. The concert on the Puget Sound campus is free. Ticket information for the Bainbridge High School concert is below.

The program at both events will include:

Concerto in F Major for bassoon and orchestra, by Carl Maria von Weber
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, by Gustav Mahler

For the Weber concerto, the second and third movements will be performed with Davis Hampton ’18 on bass clarinet. Hampton was a winner in the Concerto Competition held by the School of Music. Weber, often referred to as the father of German Romantic opera, wrote a handful of concerti for clarinet. They proved so popular that other wind players urged Weber to write a piece for them, and the bassoon concerto was the result.

The Mahler symphony should be a treat for audience and players alike, with more than 80 musicians on stage. Schulz describes Mahler as a composer who “brought Austro-German symphonic music to its zenith.”

“Mahler viewed the genre of the symphony as a vast musical landscape that ‘must be like the world. It must contain everything’,” Schulz wrote in his conductor column for the Bainbridge Island Review.

However, he goes on to say, it is not the daunting size of Mahler’s orchestras that make his compositions so magnificent. “Some of the most beautiful moments of his music are when he utilizes a small number of musicians in chamber music settings,” Schulz writes.

“When he does use everyone on stage, it is usually to build to earthshattering climaxes. Mahler’s music is incredibly pleasing to perform as well as hear. Every musician has a great part to perform and the journey he creates for the audience can be exquisite.”

University of Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, made up of talented School of Music students who audition for a place, performs both standard and progressive works from the orchestral repertoire. The orchestra performs four times annually, including concerts on campus and a tour every three years.

Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1972, serves a musically rich role on the island, uniting artists spanning generations. Wesley Schulz became music director and conductor in 2011 and has taken the orchestra and audience members on a dynamic musical journey: showcasing young artists, premiering works, and collaborating with Bainbridge Chorale.

Wesley Schulz joined Puget Sound in 2015 as director of orchestras, bringing with him an impressive record of career successes. He is music director and conductor of Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Festival Orchestra, and has shown his commitment to young musicians through his work at Seattle Conservatory of Music and youth orchestras. In 2014–2015 he was the conducting fellow at Seattle Symphony Orchestra, making his debut with the orchestra to a sold-out performance. In high demand as a guest conductor, Schulz has appeared with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Mahler Festival, Juneau Symphony, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Oregon East Symphony, San Francisco All-City Honors String Orchestra, and at Austin Chamber Music Center, among others. He has been lauded for his intensity and emotion in performances, his fresh programming, and his inspiring leadership.

Tickets for the Bainbridge High School concert are $21 for adults; $18 for seniors (65+), students, military personnel, and teachers. Youth 18 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets can be purchased at: http://bainbridgeperformingarts.org/products/bso2-1617

Entrance to the University of Puget Sound concert is free and tickets are not required. For directions and a map of the Puget Sound campus go to: pugetsound.edu/directions. For accessibility information please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3931, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

– University of Puget Sound