The Classical Music Project Presents Beethoven REimagined, April 23 at Westminster

The Classical Music Project has announced their inaugural concert, Beethoven REimagined, will take place at 3:00pm on April 23 at Westminster Hall, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette.

This all-Beethoven event includes the Minnesota Premiere of Sonata for Orchestra, the brilliant transformation of Beethoven’s Sonata no. 7 for Violin and Piano into a showpiece for a much larger ensemble, arranged by Garrett Schumann and Yaniv Segal. Also programmed is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 Op. 58, showcasing Steinway Artist Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera. Conductor/composer Yaniv Segal will be on the podium throughout.

The Classical Music Project is an emerging musical venture, created by professional musicians who are passionate about music composed primarily between the 17th and 19th centuries (but not only), and want to bring it to life in delightful new ways. The Classical Music Project aims to showcase outstanding local, national, and international talent in flexible configurations, ranging from one solo player up to a 33-piece classical-sized orchestra. Through engaging, thought-provoking, and carefully crafed programs, The Classical Music Project aspires to create an intimate, approachable, and moving musical experience that both delights each listener of the audience and celebrates live music.

Hosted within the Incubator Program of Springboard for the Arts, The Classical Music Project is guided by a spirit that older music can be made wonderfully new again.

The Sonata for Orchestra was arranged in Beethoven’s style, from the Sonata Op. 30 No.2 for Violin and Piano, by Garrett Schumann and Yaniv Segal. The collaborators have by effect created a new C minor symphony that foreshadows Beethoven’s dramatic Symphony No. 5. The orchestration requires capable musicians at every stand in the ensemble. The Sonata for Orchestra is available on a recording with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. 

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 Op.58 in G Major is one of the pinnacles of the piano concerto repertoire. The concerto’s opening was considered radical when Beethoven premiered himself in 1807. His early biographer suggested the slow movement’s interplay between strings and piano conjures the imagery of Orpheus calming the mythical Furies. The elegant almost Haydn-like last movement dazzles with a rhythmic theme. For many audiences, the cadenzas alone make the performances of this masterpiece fulfilling.

Steinway Artist Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera is a master of Afro-Cuban jazz as well as Classical music, winner of Emmys, Grammys, and Minnesota Music Awards. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra among many others and made his solo debut at the age of 12, performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No.2 with the Havana Symphony Orchestra. In January 2023, he headlined the Havana International Jazz Festival for the second consecutive year.

Yaniv Segal has achieved critical success since childhood for his work as a conductor, composer, actor, and violinist. A rising star who is “redefining classical music” (Esquire Magazine), Yaniv is Music Director of the Salina Symphony, Conductor Laureate and Artistic Advisor of the Chelsea Symphony, and former Assistant Conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.

The Orchestra of The Classical Music Project is comprised of highly accomplished local, professional musicians who have performed with all the major musical organizations in Minnesota, as well as other distinguished ensembles across the U.S. 

Tickets:

$50 Premium seating /$20 General seating. Purchase tickets online, or call the Dakota Box Office at 612-332-JAZZ (5299). Attendees have the option of parking in the Westminster Garage beneath the Church, entrance on Alice Rainville Place, $10.