Who’s ready for a concert of cosmic proportions? Holst’s The Planets will take place from September 29 to October 2, when the Nashville Symphony will share the Shermerhorn Symphony Center stage with the Nashville Symphony Women’s Chorus and Grammy-winning violinist Augustin Heidelich.
Holst’s The Planets
Featured works include contemporary composer Caiza Sariaho’s Asteroid 4179: Toutatis, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Holst’s iconic Ode to Our Solar System, The Planets.
“Planet was one of the first orchestral pieces I ever heard (on a vinyl LP!). I was particularly fascinated by the sonic color, virtuosity and musical diversity in each movement,” said music director Giancarlo Guerrero. “The work remains a personal favorite, and it was one of the first pieces I programmed when I began my conducting career. I have performed it several times over the years and am excited to share it with the Nashville Symphony audience.”
Some say this is the piece that John Williams drew much inspiration from when creating the score for Star Wars. Check out a sneak peak of the full suite below.
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
While its staggering virtuoso demands were originally considered “unworthy”, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is now one of the most beloved concertos in the repertoire. When violin virtuoso Augustin Heidelich takes the stage for this iconic work with Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony, prepare to be blown away.
Augustin Heidelich
Named Musical America’s 2018 “Instrumentalist of the Year”, Augustin Heidelich is the winner of the 2016 Grammy Award – “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” for recording songs. A Warner Classics artist, his most recent release is a Grammy-nominated double CD featuring Six Solo Sonatas and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partitas.
Born in Italy, the son of German parents, Heidelich is now an American citizen. He holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Joel Smirnoff. He won the gold medal at the 2006 International Violin Competition in Indianapolis. Other specialties include the Avery Fisher Career Grant (2009); a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship in the UK (2011); Warner Music Awards (2015); a Grammy Award (2016); as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in the UK (2017).
Full program details
- Nashville Symphony
- Nashville Symphony Female Chorus
- Augustin Heidelich, violin
- Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor
- Tucker Biddlecombe, Chorus Director
- Thursday, September 29 at 7:00 pm
- Friday, September 30 at 8:00 pm
- Saturday, October 1 at 8:00 pm
- Sunday, October 2 at 2:00 pm
Great seats start at $29 (while supplies last, additional fees apply), and Symphony’s SoundCheck program offers $10 tickets to students in K-12, college and grad school. Tickets can be purchased online at nashvillesymphony.org/planets or via phone at 615-687-6400.
