The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra resumes its “Season Reimagined” on March 4 with a performance of Joseph Boulogne’s Violin Concerto, a work that brought critical acclaim to the talented son of an African slave.

The program, which begins at 7:30 PM at the Church of God in Easton, MD, also includes Dmitri Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, and features the Orchestra’s principal cellist, Jacques-Pierre Malan, in Joseph Haydn’s riveting Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major. New York City Ballet Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen will be guest soloist for Boulogne’s Violin Concerto Op. 7 No. 2.

Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Tickets to view the concert livestream are $15. Both in-person and virtual tickets include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through March 14.

In-person or livestream tickets may be purchased online at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

“Our reimagined season’s focus on string works gives us the opportunity to showcase wonderful compositions that are seldom heard” said Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Music Director Julien Benichou. “We are fortunate to have inspired soloists such as Jacques-Pierre Malan and Kurt Nikkanen help us bring some of these works to life to inspire and enrich our valued audience members.”

Born in 1745 to a wealthy French colonial planter and his wife’s African slave, Boulogne studied music and fencing as a child. He first gained prominence for the latter, with King Louis XV naming him Chevalier de Saint-Georges, after his father’s noble title, though French law prohibited Boulogne from officially inheriting the title because of his African ancestry.

Boulogne, considered the first Black classical composer, earned public and critical acclaim with his two violin concertos, which premiered in 1772. He also composed symphonies and operas, and gained prominence as a virtuoso violinist and conductor.

Composed in the early 1760s, Haydn’s Cello Concerto score was lost until 1961, when it was discovered in a collection at the Prague National Museum. This early work, predating his D major cello concerto by around 20 years, shows the young Haydn as a master of instrumental writing.

Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is based on the String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110, which he composed in 1960 while working on music for a Soviet-East German film about the Allied bombing of Dresden during World War II. The score was later arranged for string orchestra by Rudolf Barshai as the Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a.

Jacques-Pierre Malan, a native of South Africa, is taking the classical music world by storm with his unparalleled performances, innovative projects, and uncompromising dedication to energizing and uplifting both audiences and musicians. After earning his master’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory in 2016, Mr. Malan was invited to remain in the United States under a special visa for extraordinary artists, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony and several other organizations.

Mr. Malan has performed around the world, serves as an advocate for South African classical musicians in the United States, and returns to South Africa each year. On his most recent visit, he performed the Haydn C Major cello concerto in his home town Bloemfontein with the Free State Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Nikkanen made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 12 and later was invited by Zubin Mehta to perform with the New York Philharmonic for a Young People’s Concert. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he has performed in Europe, Japan, the Far East, and in the United States with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others.

For additional information about the March 4 concert, email [email protected] or call 888-846-8600.

The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will welcome the New Year with a festive program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez and discounted livestream gift tickets to allow patrons to share the concert with family members and friends.

The December 31 non-subscription concert begins at 7 PM at the Church of God in Easton, MD, with both virtual and live, socially-distanced audiences.

“It will be very exciting for our audience to hear Liza Chavez, one of the great American mezzos of today,” said Mid-Atlantic Symphony Music Director Julien Benichou.“Everyone who hears her sing agrees that there is no one else like her.”

Hailed by the Opera News for “her buttery, richly colored mezzo,” Ms. Chavez is widely known for the role of Carmen, which she has performed with companies including the New York City Opera. Other roles with the New York City Opera have included Paula in Florencia en el Amazonas, which Opera Today hailed as a“most compelling performance,” observing that “with a rich, healthy mezzo voice, she brings the most three-dimensionality to her character.”

Ms. Chavez earned her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music after studying at California State University-Hayward. She has been a member of opera companies in San Jose, CA and Sarasota, FL, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. Ms. Chavez is a founding member of Opera Collective, an independent opera company making operatic repertoire accessible throughout New York City.

Tickets to attend the New Year’s Eve performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $85, while supplies last. Individual tickets to view the concert livestream are $25. Gift tickets for the livestream are available at five for $100, a $25 savings from the individual ticket price.

All tickets include access to pre- and post-concert discussions led by Maestro Benichou.

Tickets may be purchased online at the Orchestra’s website,midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, call 888-846-8600 or email [email protected].

In addition to the December 31 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s season includes concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021.

The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of sharing seasonal cheer when it presents its popular Holiday Joy program on December 3.

The 7 PM performance, at the Church of God in Easton, MD, features a selection of festive holiday music performed by the Orchestra’s strings and guest soloists including internationally celebrated violinist Virgil Boutelis-Taft, critically acclaimed soprano Alexandra Raszkazoff and up-and-coming tenor Michael Butler.

“With the ongoing pandemic changing holiday plans for so many of us, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony is pleased to continue its long-standing practice of celebrating the season with a program of traditional and contemporary holiday music,” said Music Director Julien Benichou. “Our musicians and guest artists look forward to sharing the joy of seasonal favorites and, perhaps, a few surprises.”

Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Individual tickets to view the concert livestream are $15.

To enable patrons to share the popular Holiday Joy program with family and friends, gift tickets to view the livestream are available at five for $50, a savings of $25 from the individual livestream ticket price. Both in-person and virtual tickets, as well as gift tickets, include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through December 10.

In-person, livestream or gift tickets may be purchased online at the Orchestra’s website, www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, call 888-846-8600 or email [email protected].

Virgil Boutellis-Taft, hailed by The STRAD magazine for the “jeweled sonority” of his playing, has performed as soloist and chamber musician at major international venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall. After receiving the First Prize of the Conservatoire de Paris at age 16, he continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Royal College of Music in London and Tel Aviv University.

Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “richly faceted, slinky soprano,” Alexandra Raszkazoffhas performed with opera companies and chorales around the world. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory and earned her master’s degree at The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of Toulmin Foundation Scholarship and the Novick Career Advancement Grant.

Although still a student at the University of Maryland, Michael Butler already is a sought-after artist. He won the National Young Arts Foundation Vocal Competition in 2018 and, in 2019, was selected for an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has performed with companies including the Washington Opera Society and the Washington Lyric Opera.

In addition to the December 3 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s season includes concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31.

The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.