Published: February 28, 2024
UT Symphony Orchestra To Perform a Variety of Compositions at Evening Concert
The University of Tampa Symphony Orchestra will present “Towering Figures,” a concert in Falk Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29. The event is free and open to the public.
The University of Tampa Symphony Orchestra will present “Towering Figures,” a concert in Falk Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Under the direction of Megan Maddaleno, assistant professor of music, the orchestra will perform Joan Tower’s powerful “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1” and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s “Chofki’ for String Orchestra.” In addition to these contemporary works, Grigorios Zamparas, chair and professor of music and director of piano studies, will perform the illustrious Beethoven piano concerto No. 5, “Emperor.”
“This program is centered around powerful figures,” said Maddaleno, “from the commanding ‘Emperor,’ to the trickster spirit of Chickasaw legend, to the women who are leaders in the face of adversity.”
Tower composed “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman” as a response to Aaron Copland’s 1942 work, “Fanfare for the Common Man” and dedicated her piece to Maestro Marin Alsop, a pioneer for female conductors in the U.S. Currently, only 11% of music directors in the U.S. identify as female, despite comprising 51% of all conducting graduates, according to the League of American Orchestras. “I felt especially moved to program this work to kick off Women’s History Month,” said Maddaleno.
The orchestra felt that it was equally important to program Tate’s imaginative work shortly after he gave a virtual guest lecture and masterclass on Feb. 6. Then, Maddaleno explained, “finishing the concert with the sheer force of Beethoven combined with the brilliance of our very own faculty truly rounds out the experience.”
“Connecting with composers and their works, whether contemporary or of a different era, truly demonstrates the power of music,” she said.
