The Jewish Community Orchestra holds an annual Young Artists Competition and selects four winners to perform one movement of a concerto (a solo piece accompanied by an orchestra). This year, we are delighted to feature:

Eleanor Price, performing Haydn – Oboe Concerto in C major, mvmt. I
Annie Rhew, performing Elgar – Cello Concerto in e minor, mvmt. IV
Hanu Nahm, performing Sibelius – Violin Concerto in d minor, op. 47, mvmt. I
Steven Wu, performing Grieg – Piano Concerto in a minor, op. 16, mvmt. I

This concert’s featured Jewish composer is Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who started composing music at 7 years old and who Gustav Mahler called a musical genius. At age 11, Korngold wrote “Der Schneemann”, a ballet/pantomime. This piece was so successful that the Vienna Court Opera staged it only a year later.

Korngold left his native Austria for Los Angeles during WWII. In Hollywood, he began writing film scores for Warner Brothers and won many nominations and awards, including an Oscar. His musical legacy includes being one of the film composers who influenced John Williams.

We will be performing the Overture to Korngold’s “Der Schneemann”, as well as the Faust Overture by female German composer Emelie Mayer.