EDMONDS, Wash. – Two young and highly accomplished pianists will each perform as soloists with the Cascade Symphony Orchestra – under the direction of Maestro Michael Miropolsky – for its next concert — “Return to Life,” on Monday, March 7 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA), 410 4th Ave. North. A pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. by KING-FM radio personality Dave Beck will preview the musical highlights for the evening.
August Baik, 14, will perform the second and third movements of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor,” and 17-year-old Nicole Wang will offer the first movement of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor.”
“We are presenting two brilliant young soloists, August Baik and Nicole Wang,” said Miropolsky. “Both are already wonderful pianists who surely have bright musical futures!”
August, a ninth grader at Washington Virtual Academy, performed at the MusicFest Perugia in Italy in 2019 with the Virtuosi Bruneses Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Uri Segal. He earned a gold medal at the 2020 Chopin Foundation Northwest Council Competition, as well as at the Bach Festival in 2014, 2015 and 2017. A jazz enthusiast, August has earned “Outstanding Accompanist” at the Music In The Parks event in Portland and “Outstanding Musician” at the DeMiero Jazz Fest in Bellevue.
Nicole, a junior at Skyline High School in Sammamish, has won top prizes in many Seattle area musical events, including the Northwest Chopin Competition, Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside, and the Eastside Music Teachers Association Scholarship Competition. Besides piano, she also plays the cello, performing with the Evergreen Philharmonic. Wang has also won several local cello competitions.
The Cascade Symphony will perform Russian composer Alexander Glazunov’s “Triumphal March” and German composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7 in A major.”
“Alexander Glazunov’s ‘Triumphal March’ is not only a glorious piece of great joy, but is also a premiere for our musicians, and probably for our (patrons) too, Miropolsky noted. “It is a fascinating character sketch with multi-nationalistic overtones. We will hear a familiar tune – ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ throughout.
“Beethoven’s seventh symphony, from its premiere, was considered one of his best works. Its essence is more about rhythm rather than melody,” Miropolsky added.
Ticket Information
Due to the current uncertainty related to the pandemic, tickets for this season are only being sold on an individual concert basis. Per person ticket prices are: $27 for adults; $22 for seniors (60-plus); $15 for students with an ID; and $10 for youth (12 and younger).
Tickets can be purchased online through the Edmonds Center for the Arts website (https://www.edmondscenterforthearts.org/events/category/13/cascade-symphony-orchestra) and by telephone (425-275-9595). The ECA Box Office may be reached by email at boxoffice@ec4arts.org. The ECA Box Office is currently open 12-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and extended hours during performances.
Joining other performance arts venues in the region, the ECA is requiring proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test for entry to all performances and events in the theater. Masks are required inside the Edmonds Center for the Arts. The venue’s complete and up-to-date regulations can be found at ec4arts.org.
Additional information about the Cascade Symphony Orchestra, its upcoming schedule, and any updates are available online at www.cascadesymphony.org.
