Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra's May 6 Concert

Acclaimed violist Brett Deubner is making a guest appearance during the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra’s next performance on Friday, May 6.

Mr. Deubner is known for single-handedly creating a body of solo music for the viola, commissioning or having commissioned for him more than 80 new compositions for the instrument. For the RSO concert at the West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, Mr. Deubner is performing a viola concerto titled “The Voyager,” specifically written for him by Grammy-Award winning composer Richard Danielpour.

“While I enjoy playing all the pieces I perform on viola, I think this piece has special meaning because I’m a big fan of Richard’s music,” Mr. Deubner says. “He’s a very important composer for today.”

Mr. Danielpour is a sought-after composer, with a distinctive American voice that has attracted international acclaim. As a devoted mentor and educator, he has influenced a younger generation of composers. His list of commissions include the celebrated artists Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman and myriad others.

“The Voyager” concerto for viola and orchestra was commissioned in 2017 by Musique Sur de la Mer orchestra, and it premiered in Los Angeles in 2017 with Mr. Deubner playing. This concerto isn’t in a traditional three-movement concerto form. Instead, it has five movements with the descriptive titles of: I. The Departure; II. In the Valley of Shadows; III. Soliloquy; IV. Elegy; V. The Return.

Mr. Deubner says, “I was thrilled that Richard decided to write his last concerto for the viola. He’s told me it’s his favorite concerto. And it’s a well-crafted piece.”

Also during the May 6 performance, the orchestra is performing Gustav Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, with well-known local soprano Kristen Plumley. Additionally, the orchestra has invited back Ukrainian-born tenor Alexei Kuznietsov, who last sang with the orchestra in November, to perform the Ukrainian national anthem. He is from the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and has recently been helping with relief efforts in the western part of the country.

For more information or to buy tickets for the concert, which begins at 8 p.m., please visit https://www.ridgewoodsymphony.org/

As a special treat, please listen to Mr. Deubner perform the beginning of the Elegy movement. He says, “I have played many concertos written for me by American composers, and to me, the most enjoyable thing is making music for people.”

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