Harrisburg Symphony Masterworks 2: The Three-Cornered Hat

• David DiGiacobbe, flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 "Linz"
Carl Nielsen — Flute Concerto, CNW 43, FS 119
Manuel de Falla — El sombrero de tres picos ("The Three-Cornered Hat")

A colorful program of humor and charm, including Mozart's thirty-sixth symphony, written in just a few days by the young genius during a visit to the city of Linz.

HSO principal flutist David DiGiacobbe performs Carl Nielsen's virtuosic and fiery concerto, and Manuel de Falla's complete ballet The Three-Cornered Hat takes us on a kaleidoscopic trip through Spain.

Performances on November 18 at 7:30pm and November 19 at 3pm.

About Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra can be traced back to the early 1930s when a group of dedicated and resourceful music lovers decided, against all odds, to form a symphony in the city of Harrisburg. The country was in the throes of the Great Depression, but the group forged ahead, giving their first concert at William Penn High School in Harrisburg on March 19, 1931. The conductor on that occasion was George King Raudenbush, who was to become the orchestra's first music director. By the end of 1931 the orchestra had moved its concerts to the newly-opened Forum Auditorium in the Education Building, part of the Capitol Complex, where it still performs to this day. The 1931-32 season included four concerts. The cost of a subscription: $2!

Slowly but surely, the institution took root, eventually taking its rightful place among the Capitol Region's cornerstone cultural institutions. Beginning with Maestro Raudenbush, who stayed until 1950, the Harrisburg Symphony has had six music directors. Succeeding Raudenbush in the 1950-51 season was Edwin McArthur, whose tenure lasted until 1974. He was followed by David Epstein (1974-1978), Larry Newland (1978-1994), Richard Westerfield (1995-1999), and Stuart Malina (2000-present). If the founders were alive today, they would see their humble creation transformed into a fully professional orchestra and a powerful and dynamic force that touches the lives of tens of thousands of people each year.

A typical season includes seven pairs of Masterworks concerts, five pairs of concerts on the Capital Blue Cross Pops Series, two Young Persons' Concerts for school age children, and free outdoor concerts in several communities over the July 4th weekend. In addition, the Symphony season includes a number of educational activities, including in-school performances and master classes featuring Harrisburg Symphony musicians.

Operating under the umbrella of the Harrisburg Symphony is the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra, founded in 1953 and one of the oldest youth symphonies in the country. There are three ensembles in the program: the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra for high school age musicians, the Junior Youth String Orchestra for middle school age musicians, and the Elementary String Orchestra for elementary musicians. All ensembles perform twice each year at the Forum and at Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. Gregory Woodbridge, Associate Conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony, is Music Director of the Youth Symphony. Krista Kriel is conductor of the Junior Youth Strings, and Nelson Rodriguez-Parada is conductor of the Elementary String Orchestra.

The Harrisburg Symphony is governed by a 27-member Board of Directors. The current Board Chair is Patricia Ferris. The Symphony is enthusiastically supported in its fundraising efforts by the Harrisburg Symphony Society under the direction of its president, Debra Yates.

https://harrisburgsymphony.org/

About David DiGiacobbe, flute

David DiGiacobbe has received critical acclaim for his solo, orchestral, and chamber music performances, in addition to his numerous appearances as a flute clinician and masterclass teacher. He has hosted masterclasses at TCNJ with such artists as, Robert Langevin, Keith Underwood, Bart Feller, and Paul Edmund Davies and the New York Philharmonic Wind Quintet.

Since 2000, Mr. DiGiacobbe has performed as the Principal Flutist of the Harrisburg and Lancaster Symphony Orchestras. He often performs as guest principal flutist for the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra 2001, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Philly Pops, Opera Philadelphia, and with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Music Center. As an orchestral player, he has performed with several rock bands, including The Moody Blues, The Who, and has participated in several movie and documentary score projects. In 2015 he was the cathedral flute soloist for the Papal visit to Philadelphia.

Mr. DiGiacobbe is a graduate of Temple University and received his Artist Diploma in Flute performance from the Conservatory of Music in Lucca, Italy. His principal teacher was the legendary flutist, Julius Baker. As winner of the 1995 International Flute Competition in Riva del Garde, Italy, he has appeared for Italian radio & television, and at several major European music festivals. Since then he has given masterclasses in the US, Canada, South and Central America, and Europe.

As a soloist and clinician, he has appeared with the NJNEA All State Music Conference in Trenton, NJ and as a soloist and recording artist with the Eastern Wind Symphony. He has appeared as performer/clinician for the New York Flute Club, NJ Flute Society, Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia, Mid-Atlantic Flute Symposium, among others. In 2004 he performed the South American premier of the Christopher Rouse Flute Concerto with the Bogota Philharmonic for National Television in Columbia. As a concerto soloist, he has appeared with the Harrisburg Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Eastern Wind Symphony, and the TCNJ Wind Ensemble and Orchestra.

David spends his summers in Austria, where he serves as Orchestra Manager and flutist of the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz (Austria). He has held teaching positions at Temple University, The University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, and at the Lynn University Conservatory in Florida.

https://youtu.be/pXNxAfbIoTE?feature=shared&t=49