Music Director finalist Howard Hsu to make his first appearance with the JCSO
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra (JCSO) will welcome guest conductor Howard Hsu and percussionist Britton-René Collins to the stage at its November 9 concert, titled “Magnificent Marimba.” With an incredible setlist, this concert will be a must-see event for classical music lovers! “Magnificent Marimba” will be held at the Johns Creek United Methodist Church, 11180 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek, on Saturday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this concert range from $22-$55. To purchase tickets, please visit www.johnscreeksymphony.org or click HERE.
The 2024-2025 concert season centers around a Music Director search, as the JCSO looks to place its next Music Director. As a Music Director finalist and guest conductor, Howard Hsu has curated a dynamic setlist of three different works. The JCSO string section will bring to life TCHAIKOVSKY’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48 and MONTGOMERY’s Starburst. Up-and-coming composer Jessie Montgomery is Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year, and she described this piece as “a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape.” ROSAURO’s Marimba Concerto No. 1 features masterful percussionist and guest star Britton-René Collins, who will have performed at Carnegie Hall just a few months prior to making her JCSO debut.
“Britton-Rene Collins is an up-and-coming, dynamic young artist who is making a real difference in her field,” said Linda Brill, Executive Director of the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra. “It is not often that a percussionist is featured as a soloist with an orchestra, and we feel that our audience will appreciate the opportunity to witness her astounding level of artistry at the front and center of this performance.”
About Britton-René Collins
Hailed as an “astounding virtuoso” and “exhilarating” performer, percussionist Britton-René Collins is a Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition and the 2021 Chicago International Music Competition. Britton-René has performed hundreds of concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, and Europe, in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the Mondavi Center. To learn more about Britton-René Collins, read her biography.
About Howard Hsu
Howard Hsu is the Music Director of the Valdosta (GA) Symphony Orchestra, which performs a vital cultural role in the South Georgia region. He also serves as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestra Studies at Valdosta State University. Under Mr. Hsu’s leadership, the Valdosta Symphony was selected as the 2014 winner of the American Prize in Orchestral Performance (community division), and has had performances aired statewide on Georgia Public Broadcasting Radio’s “Midday Music,” “Orchestras of Georgia,” and “Front Row Georgia” programs. He is also a Music Director finalist in Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-2025 Music Director search. To learn more about Howard Hsu, read his biography.
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ABOUT JOHNS CREEK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, founded by Music Director J. Wayne Baughman, provides world-class musical enrichment for the community of Johns Creek through concert series performances, as well as additional educational programs and special events each year. Now entering its 18th season, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra is a fully professional symphonic orchestra composed of professional musicians from all over the greater metro Atlanta area. To learn more about Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, please visit www.johnscreeksymphony.org.
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