Details

Pianos and pianists everywhere! The ESO presents a potent panoply of piano pleasures. This light-hearted, but highly musical evening will include a smorgasbord of great keyboard masterpieces, both solo and with orchestra. Don’t miss this rare evening of all things pianistic!

This performance was recorded by CBC and will be broadcast on CBC Radio Two's (90.9 FM) In Concert with Bill Richardson on May 2 beginning at 11:00 AM.

$69 Dress Circle (A)
$59 Terrace (B)
$46 Orchestra (C)
$35 Upper Circle (D)
$24 Gallery (E)
$46 Orchestra Front (F)
(click map for interactive version)

Tickets subject to applicable service charges.

Thank you to our concert sponsor: Piano Centre
Thank you to our media sponsor:

The next ESO Special performance features Sandi Patty on April 13, 2010.

Program Information

Program to include:

LISZT
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Friska (4’)*
(Arr Müller-Berghaus)

CHOPIN
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Opus 21: III. Maestoso (9')*
 Angela Cheng, piano

FINZI
Eclogue (10’)*
 Michael Massey, piano

RACHMANINOFF
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43: Variations 18 to 24 (9’)*
 Jon Kimura Parker, piano

MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466: III. Rondo: Allegro assai (8’)*
 William Eddins, piano and conductor

MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K467: II. Andante (9')*
 Angela Cheng, piano

MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K453: III. Allegretto - Presto (9’)*
 Jon Kimura Parker, piano

GRANADOS
El Pelele - Escena goyesca (4’)*
 William Eddins, piano

BEETHOVEN
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Opus 13 “Pathétique”: II. Adagio cantabile (6’)*
 Jon Kimura Parker, piano

STRAVINSKY
Petroushka: Danse Russe (Arr Parker) (4’)*
 Jon Kimura Parker, piano

CHOPIN
Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Opus 23 (9’)*
 Angela Cheng, piano

*Indicates approximate performance duration

Artist Information

William Eddins is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. A native of Buffalo, New York, he currently resides in Minneapolis with his lovely wife Jen, a clarinetist, and their two boys Raef (AKA Raefster; Munchers) and Riley (AKA Squeaky; The Imp; Dr. No).

Bill has been playing piano since he was five when his parents bought a Wurlitzer Grand piano at a garage sale. He started conducting during his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music, and most of the '80s were spent trying to decide whether to pursue a career in conducting or piano. The quandary was answered for him when he realized that the life of a poor, starving pianist was for the birds. In 1989 Bill decided to study conducting with Dan Lewis at the University of Southern California, from whence he managed to land assistant conductor posts with the Chicago Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra in 1992.

Bill has many non-musical hobbies including: cooking, eating, discussing food, and planning dinner parties. He is also quite fond of biking, tennis, reading, and pinball. Unfortunately, due to pianistic paranoia his days in the martial arts are long over.

Bill is committed to bringing classical music to the greater public. He has started a podcast – Classical Connections – which is dedicated to exploring the history of classical music and highlights live chamber music performances in which Bill has taken part (check it out for yourself at Bill Eddins' website). He has also produced a solo piano CD – Bad Boys, Volume I – which features Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata and Albright's Nightmare Fantasy Rag. His latest recording, on the Naxos label, features American music for cello and orchestra.

The 2009/10 season marks the first for Lucas Waldin as Resident Conductor for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. This mentorship position is made possible through the Canada Council for the Arts. Mr. Waldin graduated in 2006 from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Masters in Conducting. He has performed with L'Orchestre du Festival Beaulieu-Sur-Mer (Monaco), Staatstheater Cottbus (Brandenburg), and Bachakademie Stuttgart. Lucas was assistant conductor of the contemporary orchestra RED (Cleveland), director of the Cleveland Bach Consort, and a Discovery Series Conductor at the Oregon Bach Festival. In 2007, he was invited to conduct the Miami-based New World Symphony Orchestra in masterclasses given by Michael Tilson Thomas. In Lucerne in 2009, he also participated in a masterclass led by Bernard Haitink, with the Lucerne Festival Strings.

A native of Toronto, Lucas Waldin has spent summers studying in Europe, including studies at the International Music Academy in Leipzig, the Bayreuth Youth Orchestra, and the Acanthes New Music Festival in France. On this continent, he has studied under the renowned Bach conductor Helmut Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival, and has attended conducting masterclasses with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto. Mr. Waldin received a Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance from the Cleveland Institute, studying with Joshua Smith.