The Knox-Galesburg Symphony will present a Valentine’s Day concert Saturday night that pairs two sweeping works of the Russian romantic repertoire under guest conductor Rossana Cauti.
“A Symphonic Valentine” begins at 7 p.m. at Galesburg’s Orpheum Theatre, 57 S. Kellogg St.
Cauti, a violist and conductor who grew up in eastern Italy along the Adriatic sea, will lead the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.
Now a professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she conducts the symphony and string orchestra, Cauti said orchestras play a central role in smaller communities like Galesburg and Carbondale.
“An orchestra is, in a way, one of the centers of culture for a community,” she said. “It’s something that brings the community to life, and it also brings the community together. I find that where there is an orchestra, it’s always a community that feels, that identifies with that place.”
Cauti said she has seen firsthand how symphonies can have an even greater impact in smaller cities than in larger metropolitan areas. In smaller centers, she said, concerts are often more accessible, conductors are more engaged in outreach, and youth orchestras or preparatory divisions help cultivate the next generation of musicians.
Her connection to the Knox-Galesburg Symphony began about a year ago, when a Knox College professor who had previously visited SIU as a guest artist invited her to serve as guest conductor. The invitation included the opportunity to choose the program, knowing it would be a Valentine’s Day concert.
“It didn’t take me so much time to think about the Tchaikovsky, ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” Cauti said, noting it had not been performed by the orchestra in some time.
The dramatic overture, inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy, anchors the first half of the program.
Selecting a companion piece was a bit harder.
“It’s such a big piece in terms of perfection for a Valentine’s concert,” she said of the Tchaikovsky composition.
She ultimately chose Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, one of the most romantic works in the symphonic repertoire. The symphony is known for its lush melodies, including a long clarinet solo in the third movement that has been featured in films.
Together, Cauti said, the works form a celebration of love that transcends time and geography.
“Love is still the feeling that links composers from different times, different styles, different countries, and inspires them to write poetry, inspires them to write different art, different forms of art,” she said. “And through these very strong emotions makes them write a piece of art that stays with us centuries later.”
Cauti said she hopes the concert serves as a reminder of “timeless love.”
“I hope it’s just a reminder of don’t give up on love wherever you are,” she said. “And don’t give up on romance either.”
Tickets for “A Symphonic Valentine” are available online.
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