Central Oregon Symphony

Brahms and Haydn converge in Central Oregon Symphony’s season opener

The Central Oregon Symphony (COS) kicks off its season with a three-concert series, Oct. 19-21, with performances held at the Bend High School auditorium: Saturday (7:30 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.) and Monday (7:30 p.m.). COS is a cooperative effort between Central Oregon Community College and the nonprofit Central Oregon Symphony Association. Admission to the performances is free, but tickets are required; visit cosymphony.com.

The concert will feature two works: Johannes Brahms’ Concerto for Piano No. 1 and Symphony No. 104, London by Franz Joseph Haydn. Brazilian pianist, Ednaldo Borba, is the featured soloist on the Brahms piece. “I have had the opportunity to hear him play on several occasions and I have been impressed by the technical mastery, the attention to the smallest detail, and the range of expression he’s capable of coaxing from the music on the page,” said COS conductor Michael Gesme.

After intermission, “the clock will be turned back nearly three-quarters of a century and the venue shifted from Germany to England, where Franz Joseph Haydn had made himself the darling of the aristocratic Londoners,” added Gesme. Symphony No. 104, he said, is typically considered the capstone of Haydn’s symphonic career and bears the London moniker as a tribute to the community that inspired his creativity.

For more information about the performances, contact Michael Gesme at 541-383-7516.