The first program of the season, “East Meets West”,  is planned and conducted by Geneviève Leclair.  The orchestra performs Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture, Alan Hovhaness’  Artik with French horn soloist  Lauren Winter, Chen Yi’s  Ge Xu  (Antiphony), and Claude Debussy’s La Mer.

The following are Ms. Leclair’s comments on how she chose this program:  “Wagner’s grand Tannhäuser needs no introduction while being a splendid concert opener. Its massive orchestration is a palette opener leaving us wanting more brass and yet contrasts with the string orchestration of Hovhaness’ horn concerto Artik. Chen Yi is a Chinese-American composer known for blending Chinese and Western influences in a highly personal and innovative style. Her piece Ge Xu (Antiphony) takes the listener into an entirely different musical landscape, full of discoveries. Debussy’s love for oriental music, his use of pentatonic scales and atmospheric orchestration seams to literally emerge from her piece creating a powerful musical connection.”

Canadian conductor Geneviève Leclair was appointed Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music in 2016. Very active with organizations across Canada, the United States and the UK, she is also a guest conductor with Northern Ballet (UK) and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Conductors Guild.

Lauren Winter is principal horn of the Portland Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Symphony Orchestra.