Maestro Demetrius Fuller to conduct Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra

Sinfonia Gulf Coast presents award-winning violinist Geneva Lewis as part of its Classical Connections program on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Destin High School.

Lewis will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 with the full Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra conducted by Music & Artistic Director Demetrius Fuller. The orchestra will also perform Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, Op. 61.

“We are thrilled to welcome an artist of Geneva’s caliber to Sinfonia Gulf Coast. Supporting the development of a young musician already on a trajectory of a major career is as rewarding as watching this talent blossom and flourish for years to come,” Fuller says.

New Zealand-born, Lewis has forged a reputation as a musician of consummate artistry whose performances speak from and to the heart. Lauded for “remarkable mastery of her instrument” and hailed as “clearly one to watch,” Lewis is the recipient of a 2022 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition.

Deeply passionate about collaboration, Lewis has performed with many prominent musicians such as Jonathan Biss, Glenn Dicterow, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Gidon Kremer, Marcy Rosen, Sir András Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida among others.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Mendelssohn (1809-1847) is usually regarded as a conservative composer, who despite his allegiance to Romanticism, closely followed the classical forms and feelings of Mozart and Haydn. But Mendelssohn also was a true Romantic who felt free to break the rules of classical concertos which you’ll hear in this piece.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856), born in Zwickau, Saxony [Germany], was widely regarded by musicologists as the new “hero” of the Romantic Era. In his approach to composition, Schumann was the musical dissenter of his time. As a result, the adventurous Schumann was uncertain and melancholy even during his most productive years. In 1841, at the end of one of his convalescent periods, he began working in symphonic form. The movements in Symphony No. 2 are interrelated by a recurrence of themes.

General admission seating tickets range from $20-$35 for adults; active-duty military are $20 and student tickets are $15. Proceeds benefit Sinfonia Gulf Coast and its education and community engagement initiatives throughout Northwest Florida. Purchase tickets online at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or by calling the box office at (850) 460-8800.

The 2022-2023 season is made possible by generous support from individuals, local businesses, and media partners. Presenting Concerts Sponsor is Hancock Whitney Bank. Classical Connections Presenting Sponsor is Silver Sands Premium Outlets. Presenting Media Sponsor is Visit South Walton. Presenting E-media Sponsor is Sowal.com. Presenting Discounted Military Tickets Sponsor is Eglin Federal Credit Union.

For information on volunteer opportunities, email Sinfonia at info@sinfoniagulfcoast.org or call (850) 460-8800.

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