Curious about what you'll experience at the
Shostakovich & Mendelssohn concert? Keep reading for some surprising and fun facts about the soloist, conductor, and composers featured.
1. Amaryn Olmeda designs her own dresses
Joining us as the soloist for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, 16-year-old wunderkind
Amaryn Olmeda brings both musical and artistic flair to the stage -- she even designs some of her own performance gowns! In a recent interview with
The Violin Channel, she shared that if she weren't a musician, she'd find fashion design a fun alternative.
2. Mendelssohn composed 18 symphonies in his life
Between the ages of 12 and 14, Mendelssohn composed 13 string symphonies, intended for performances in the Mendelssohn household. He completed his first full orchestral symphony when he was only 15 years old.
3. Shostakovich's 9th symphony shocked critics around the world
Shostakovich had promised a grandiose, heroic Ninth Symphony, even hinting at a powerful chorale and a triumphant song of praise. But when it finally premiered, it was anything but -- instead, the symphony turned out to be short, lighthearted, and full of wit, defying all expectations! Before the symphony premiered, Shostakovich said, "Musicians will love to play it and critics will delight in bashing it."
4. Anthony Parnther has worked on the music for Oscar winning films
Anthony Parnther is one of the most sought-after conductors in the film industry, having worked on major blockbusters like
Avatar: The Way of Water, Oppenheimer, The Mandalorian, Creed III, and
Turning Red. Renowned composer Ludwig Göransson, known for his iconic scores for
Black Panther and
Oppenheimer, considers Parnther an invaluable collaborator when bringing new film scores to life.
5. Edward Elgar was a fan of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Just one year after leaving school, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor received a prestigious commission from the Three Choirs Festival, thanks to a recommendation from none other than Edward Elgar. Elgar praised the young composer, telling the festival that Coleridge-Taylor was "far and away the cleverest fellow going amongst the young men."
