It isn’t often that a symphony orchestra performs with a guitar. Then again, it isn’t often that one of the world’s top classical guitarists comes to Illinois.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will welcome Ana Vidovic to the stage for a performance of Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” as part of its Nov. 5 and 6 concerts at the Hemmens Cultural Center.
“Orchestral pieces for the guitar are few and far between,” said guest conductor John Devlin, who worked with the orchestra’s leadership in creating this program. “This piece by Rodrigo has become the most famous and often-played concerto in the guitar repertoire. Ana is one of the world’s best interpreters of the piece. So for us to have this happening in Elgin around this concert is a real treat.”
Devlin is one of the conductors in the running for the open position of musical director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. He’s currently the musical director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in West Virginia and has a long resume of guest conducting performances, including with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
“The Elgin Symphony Orchestra has such a wonderful national reputation,’ he said. “The thing I’m passionate about now in my career is regional orchestras doing work that directly relates to the betterment of the community. I’ve had the honor to do that here in my home of Wheeling for the last four years, and I loved the relationship I’ve had with this city and this orchestra.
“So the fact that I’ve been invited to Elgin, not just to conduct a concert but to see if it might be a good fit for us to have an ongoing relationship, is a real privilege,” he said. “I’m excited to explore this wonderful musical program as well as share it twice with the city.”
The concert was conceived around Vidovic’s performance of Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” which was written in 1939 and established him as one of the top Spanish composers of the 20th century.
“He evokes a representation of this beautiful estate on which a palace was built for Spanish royalty all the way back in the 16th century,” Devlin said. “Because there was this Spanish influence in this program, I thought it would be nice to use the rest of the program to paint pictures of various places and times.”
The concert will begin with Felix Mendelssohn’s “The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave),” an 1832 piece written after the German composer’s trip to Scotland.
“He was taken by the visit, seeing the craggy coastline with the fog and the turbulent ocean,” Devlin said. “You feel all of that in this piece. It’s extremely beautiful and a great way to start the program.”
Following it will be Vidovic’s performance of “Concierto de Aranjuez.” The Croatian-born Vidovic was a child prodigy who, now 41, has performed with many of Europe’s top orchestras. “It’s truly an honor to perform with her,” Devlin said.
The next piece, “Impressions,” was written by Brazilian American Clarice Assad, who lives in Chicago.
“I strive as an artist to support living American composers of all backgrounds, and Clarice is one of my favorite living composers,” Devlin said. “I’ve done a number of her works, including ‘Impressions,’ and I think this is a great fit for the concert. Also getting to work on a piece created by somebody who lives in the region is a beautiful thing for me. I always love creating those local ties when possible.
“It also fits into our theme of ‘time and place,’ as it’s a homage to both her Brazilian heritage and her American residence. So you not only hear the Brazilian influence but also American styles like bluegrass and jazz. It’s really incredible how she does it.”
The final piece of the program will be “Romeo and Juliet” by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
“It does an incredible job capturing each of the characters of the story,” Devlin said. “I think it’s up there as one of the greatest works ever written, and I’m excited to end a concert with something that profound.”
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‘Spanish Guitar: Concierto de Aranjuez’
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 6
Where: Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin
Tickets: $20-$65; students $10; Youth 18 and under are free with an adult
Information: 847-888-4000; elginsymphony.org
Jeff Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.