Sedona News – The Sedona Symphony (formerly Verde Valley Sinfonietta) presents its third concert of the 2024-2025 season under the innovative direction of Artistic Director Janna Hymes. The concert features violinist Tai Murray, praised as “superb” by The New York Times and celebrated for her “technically flawless” style, performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 2:30 PM at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd. in Sedona. The Sedona Symphony will also include Saint-George’s Overture to L’Amant anonyme and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36, to round out the program.
A winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a BBC New Generation Artist, Murray has captivated audiences worldwide with her elegant playing and expressive phrasing. Her illustrious career includes performances with major ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra, as well as a notable world premiere of Malcolm Hayes’ violin concerto at the BBC Proms. Murray’s global recital schedule has taken her to prestigious venues including Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Washington D.C. In addition to her performance career, she is an Associate Professor of Violin at the Yale School of Music and performs on a historic 1765 Tomaso Balestrieri violin.
The program opens with Saint-George’s Overture to L’Amant anonyme (The Anonymous Lover). This treasured overture is from his second and only surviving opera, which he composed in 1780 at age 35.
A trailblazing composer often referred to as the “Black Mozart,” due to his successes at an early age, Bologne’s music reflects his extraordinary virtuosity and unique status as a celebrated man of color in 18th-century European classical music. He was a contemporary of Queen Marie Antoinette, who attended some of his concerts, and sometimes arrived without notice. As a result, the orchestra wore court attire for all their performances. One musicologist noted that in 1786 the musicians played “in embroidered suits, lace cuffs, swords at their sides and feathered hats on the benches. Such an orchestra was a sight to behold, and no less pleasant to listen to.”
Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, follows. Nicknamed “The Turkish Concerto,” this beloved work is a testament to Mozart’s brilliance at just 19 years old and is the last of his five violin concertos.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, dubbed a “child prodigy,” composed in nearly every genre of classical music during his time and created absolute masterpieces in each one of them. The concerto debuted in 1775, during the Christmas Festival in Salzburg. It consists of three movements and follows the typical fast-slow-fast musical structure of the time. Featuring lyrical beauty, intricate themes, and the lively, dramatic energy of its final movement, the concerto showcases both the soloist’s virtuosity and the orchestra’s dynamic interplay.
The program concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36. The symphony composed in 1802, was one of the last pieces that Beethoven wrote during his so-called “early period.” Beethoven was 32 years old and already dreading the permanent loss of his hearing and suffering a bout of depression. However, no such feelings can be sensed in this composition. Although written during a period of personal adversity as Beethoven faced the onset of deafness, the symphony is one of contentment, joy, and confidence. From its majestic opening Adagio to its spirited final, composed of rapid string passages and filled with Beethovenian musical jokes, the symphony highlights Beethoven’s ability to convey profound emotion and buoyant humor.
The 2024-2025 Season is sponsored by Sedona residents Neil and Mary Pope. The February 2 concert is co-sponsored by John and Ann Steinbrenner and John Martinez and Carol Palmer. Ticket prices are $20 – $70 (half price for children) and are available on the Sedona Symphony website ssymph.org and at the door on the day of the concert.
About Sedona Symphony
Now in its 20th season, the Sedona Symphony remains committed to their mission of “enriching the quality of life of our Northern Arizona community through the power of live orchestral music that educates, entertains, and inspires.” Led by Artistic Director Janna Hymes since 2023, the Sedona Symphony offers a diverse range of concerts throughout the season, featuring both well-known classical masterpieces and pops performances.
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