Bonsoir and Bienvenue are French for good evening and welcome. With this in mind, on October 6, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., please join Conductor and Music Director, Maestro Zeljko Milicevic and The Rochester Symphony Orchestra (RSO) in Rochester, Michigan as they “welcome” you to a very “good evening” of great classical music. 

The concert for this evening (Les Souvenirs Du Passe´ Mementos from the Past) is the second of five concerts in the 2023-2024 concert season. This will be a magical evening celebrating the works of three French composers, Francois Devienne, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Francois Devienne’s flute “Concerto No. 7 in E Minor”, written around 1787, has three movements, which range from gentle to lively and bright. It involves the light-heartedness of Mozart and at times the drama of Beethoven, but it still maintains its own merits beyond these musical giants.

The RSO is pleased to announce that Amanda Blaikie, renowned flute soloist, will perform Devienne’s “Concerto No. 7 in E Minor” with the RSO orchestra. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Amanda was appointed 2nd Flute of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and will be Acting Assistant Principal Flute during the 2023-2024 season. Previous to the DSO, Amanda held the position of Principal Flute with the Detroit Opera, Sarasota Opera, Miami City Ballet, and the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. She has frequently performed with the New York Philharmonic, a Live from Lincoln Center television broadcast, and a Carnegie Hall performance.

Claude Debussy, another French composer, seen as the first Impressionist composer was one of the most influential composers of the late 19^th century and the early 20^th century.

Another piece composed in 1890 by Debussy as “Tarantelle Styrienne” was reissued in 1903 under the title “Danse”.  This is one of Debussy’s most brilliant dances and was a favorite of Maurice Ravel that he arranged for orchestra in 1923.

Written by Maurice Ravel, the “Pavane pour une infante de´funte, Pavane for a Dead Princess” is a slow professional dance that enjoyed great popularity in the courts of Europe during the 16^th and 17^th centuries.
 
“Symphony No. 31 in D Major, K. 297”, known as the “Paris Symphony” is one of the most famous symphonies of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This symphony was composed in 1778 by Mozart in Paris when he was only 22 years old. 
 
The Rochester Symphony Orchestra is committed to bringing our community together to experience live orchestral music. The RSO musicians are dedicated to making every evening in concert, a special one.
 
Please join us at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo Road, Rochester Michigan on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. Call for tickets at 248-651-4181 or visit our website at
www.rochester symphony.com. Tickets are Adults $30 - Students $5.