(March 29) Maestro Jon Robertson will lead the Redlands Symphony in a concert featuring the works of Beethoven and Mozart on Saturday, April 11, in the Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Redlands. Noted pianist Roberta Rust will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major as part of the program. The concert begins at 8 p.m., with doors open at 7 p.m. Maestro Robertson will discuss the program in a pre-concert talk that beings at 7:15 p.m. Single tickets for the concert start at $15. The complete program for the concert includes the Coriolan Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488, performed by Rust, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 Eroica in E-flat major, op. 55. “This will be an evening of majestic music from two of the world’s greatest and most popular composers,” said Maestro Robertson. “And I’m especially excited to have Roberta Rust here to perform for our Redlands audience. She is an extremely talented performer who I know will bring her own special interpretation to the piece by Mozart.” Roberta Rust has concertized to critical acclaim around the globe since her debut as soloist with the Houston Symphony at age sixteen and as recitalist at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times hailed her as “a powerhouse of a pianist – one who combines an almost frightening fervor and intensity with impeccable technique and spartan control.” Her many remarkable recordings feature music of Debussy, Haydn, Villa-Lobos, Prokofiev, and contemporary American composers. Solo recitals include performances at Sala Cecilia Meireles (Rio de Janeiro), Merkin Concert Hall (NY), Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), and KNUA Hall (Seoul). Rust has played with the Lark, Ying, and Amernet String Quartets, and her festival appearances include OPUSFEST (Philippines), Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, Festival Miami, Beethoven Festival (Oyster Bay), and La Gesse (France). She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras including the New Philharmonic, Philippine Philharmonic, Boca Raton Symphonia, the New World Symphony, and orchestras in Latin America. Born in Texas of American Indian ancestry, Rust studied at the Peabody Conservatory, graduated “summa cum laude” from the University of Texas at Austin, and received performer’s certificates in piano and German Lieder from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She earned her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music and her doctorate at the University of Miami. Her teachers included Ivan Davis, Artur Balsam, John Perry, and Phillip Evans, and master class studies were with Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher, and Carlo Zecchi. She served as Artistic Ambassador for the U.S., was awarded a major NEA grant, and also received recognition and prizes from the OAS, National Society of Arts & Letters, and International Concours de Fortepiano (Paris). In addition, she is a music critic for Clavier Companion Magazine.
The sponsor for the April concert is Majestic Realty. Single tickets for the concert are available at the door and online at www.redlandssymphony.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the box office at 909-748-8018.