East Metro Symphony Orchestra presents Scheherazade: Enchanting Stories from Arabian Nights

UPDATE: EMSO is pleased to announce that Minnesota Public Radio Classical Music host Valerie Kahler will be the storyteller for this performance. She grew up in a musical family and started playing cello and piano in 3rd grade. During college, she started volunteering for her local public radio station, a path which eventually led her to the Promised Land of Minnesota, by way of MPR. She’s a founding member and frequent conductor of the Prairie Fire Lady Choir, and an enthusiastic amateur chamber musician. She shares her life with her partner John, two cats, three guitars, two cellos, two recorders, a piano and a ukulele. You can hear her on MPR Classical on Sunday evenings at 6pm.

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The East Metro Symphony Orchestra (EMSO) is pleased to present a very special concert for families, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade: Enchanting Stories from Arabian Nights, on Sunday, May 17th at 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 2499 Helen Street, North Saint Paul, MN 55109.

Exploring the enchanting tales from the epic 1001 Arabian Nights stories, the heart of Rimsky-Korsakov’s epic orchestral work, this program will provide a unique glimpse into folk tales, storytelling and music - all presented in an informal way, perfect for adults and children alike!

“Though Rimsky-Korsakov based his most famous orchestral piece, Scheherazade, on tales from 1001 Arabian Nights, he generally left which stories, and how they translate into the music, up to the individual’s imagination,” noted EMSO music director and conductor Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes. “By presenting the tales themselves, alongside the orchestral music they inspired, we hope to highlight the beauty and fascination of these tales, as well as bring this magnificent piece of music to life in a whole new way!”

Scheherazade tells the tale of a resourceful young woman who uses her great gift of weaving fascinating and fanciful tales to save her own life and heal the broken heart of the Sultan Schahriar. “Reading these stories in order to create a narration that exactly fits the narrative of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music has been a pleasure, since these old tales so exquisitely take you to such remarkable places from long ago and far away,” commented Jim Barnes, who will be providing the program’s narration. The stories take you from adventuresome sea voyages with Sinbad the Sailor to a quest by a prince to travel the world until he finds the beloved princess whose likeness he found in a book.

EMSO’s president commented that, “Combining the arts of storytelling and music helps us reach our audience on a new level. One that we believe is especially compelling for families, where storytelling is an important part of life.”

Admission to this wonderful event is $10 for Adults, $6 for Seniors, while those 18 and under are free! Presale tickets are available. Please consult the orchestra’s website: www.EMSOrch.org and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/emsorch for more information. Following the performance an informal reception, with cookies, will provide opportunity to meet the performers.

East Metro Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra based in Woodbury, led by music director and conductor, Dr. Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes and concertmaster Michal Sobieski. The orchestra performs four to five concerts per season in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area, specializing in developing enervating collaborations with local artists and organizations, as well as special educational partnerships and programs for seniors. For more information go to www.emsorch.org or www.facebook.com/emsorch.