World-renowned percussionist returns to Albany symphony
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Albany Symphony will celebrate the new year with the return of Scottish soloist Dame Evelyn Glennie on Saturday, January 14, and Sunday, January 15, at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Glennie will perform the recent percussion concerto Çikrikçilar Hill by Turkish-American composer Kamran Ince with the musicians of the orchestra.
Glennie won a Grammy Award with the Albany Symphony in 2014 for a recording of John Corigliano's Conjurer. “Dame Evelyn Glennie is a living legend and a performer with whom we have developed a special relationship,” said ASO Music Director David Alan Miller. “We are honored and excited to be welcoming back one of the most innovative and pioneering soloists of today back to the Capital Region this month for what is sure to be an unforgettable performance.”
The program also features Jean Sibelius' Symphony no. 5, and a recent work by Detroit composer Harriet Steinke entitled Harrietlehre. In addition to the performances, the community is invited to participate in "This Ability: Feel the Beat," a special free webinar, on Friday, January 13, at 10 a.m. presented by the symphony in partnership with New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID).
The latest in ASO and NYSID's This Ability Roundtable series features Glennie in conversation with NYSID President and CEO Maureen O'Brien. Glennie, who is profoundly deaf after losing her hearing as a child, regularly gives talks on how she "listens differently."
“My career and my life have been about listening in the deepest possible sense," said Glennie. "Losing my hearing meant learning how to listen differently, to discover features of sound I hadn’t realized existed. Losing my hearing made me a better listener."
The Saturday, January 14 performance is slated for 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, January 15, the show is scheduled for 3 p.m. A pre-concert talk, free to ticketholders, will start an hour before each performance. Tickets are available online now.