Tales of Kings and Queens

The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will present its Masterworks concert, Tales of Kings and Queens, on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 4:00 PM at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium. Music Director Cynthia Woods will conduct the orchestra.

Join the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra for a night of noble leaders and far-off adventures, from tales of ancient biblical kings to the most prominent American civil rights leader of the twentieth century.

Duke Ellington‘s symphonic work Three Black Kings (1974) brings together kings of old and recent history, telling the stories of Balthazar (black king of the Magi), King Solomon, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Composing this magnificent work at the end of his life, Ellington eulogizes Dr. King by placing him in a historical line of black royalty, in a rich symphonic tapestry that weaves jazz, gospel, and classical influences together, the past and the present uniting.

Nearly a century before, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov composed a sweeping romantic tone poem for the story of Scheherazade (1888), who saved her own life from the hands of a sultan by enthralling him with stories for 1,001 nights and winning his heart. Rimsky-Korsakov’s flashy orchestrations and lush melodies evoke princes, princesses, and ships wrecked at sea, with a tender solo violin woven throughout that gives voice to Scheherazade herself.

The concert also features Johannes Brahms‘ exuberant Academic Festival Overture (1880).

Our Spotlight Partner for this event is the YWCA Cambridge, which is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Since its founding in 1891, the YWCA Cambridge has been an advocate for human rights and has provided safe, affordable housing and support services for women and girls. For more information, visit https://ywcacam.org/.

The CSO 2019-20 season is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Tickets for the Kresge performance are $25 (general) and $15 (students and seniors) and can be purchased at http://www.cambridgesymphony.org.

As part of the EBT Card to Culture Program, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra also offers discounted admission to this concert for Massachusetts EBT cardholders: $5 general admission for adults, and free admission for kids 16 and under with the purchase of at least one $5 adult ticket. This discount program is offered in collaboration with the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance.

Established in 1975, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, Inc. (CSO) is a 501(c)(3) community music organization presenting classical music to diverse audiences who value great music in an accessible environment. Our volunteer musicians hail from Cambridge, Somerville and other parts of Greater Boston. As the only community orchestra in Cambridge and Somerville, the CSO creates outstanding programing through the combined energy of dozens of dedicated and talented individuals who believe in the importance of classical music and expanding our community’s access to it.

For more information about the concert and about the CSO, go to www.cambridgesymphony.org

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