Musical Romance 
Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 2023, 2:30 p.m.
Saenger Theatre
Scott Speck, conductor
Joyce Yang, piano

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet
William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1  Afro-American Symphony
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

Joyce Yang, piano
Two of Russian music’s most romantic masterworks make this an irresistible concert: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 performed by Joyce Yang.
Our audiences love these two romantic pieces! Tchaikovsky skillfully turns Shakespeare’s tragedy into an amazing overture that is both thunderingly dramatic and achingly beautiful. It may be a tragic love story, but Tchaikovsky guides it to a triumphant ending.

Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto is widely described as the greatest piano concerto ever written and is also the composer’s most popular work. Its sweeping melodies are truly swoon-worthy, and all that passion and emotion explain why it inspires popular songs and movies. It’s even the “on-hold” music at the Mobile Symphony office! Hearing the concerto performed by the amazing Joyce Wang will be a special treat for Mobile audiences. The Grammy-nominated pianist has captivated audiences across the globe with her virtuosity, lyricism and interpretive sensitivity.

William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony was the first symphony by a black composer to be performed by a major orchestra. The symphony blends jazz, blues and spirituals into a traditional classical form, which elevates that music as something to be celebrated.

Sponsored by:

The J.J. Bedsole Foundation

The Robert and Joanna Cunningham Charitable Foundation

Jim and Karen Atchison

The Family of Patty Malone