FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2006
PRESS CONTACT: Rebecca Hawkins
781-274-8233
http://www.lexingtonsymphony.org/press/
high-res photo
Chicago Brass In Lexington: Gail Williams, Horn, With Lexington Symphony
On Saturday February 3rd, Gail Williams will solo with the Lexington Symphony and conductor Jonathan McPhee at 8pm, Cary Hall, Lexington Center. Williams, one of the world’s finest horn players, will perform the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 and Nocturne for Horn and Strings by Anthony Plog. Also on the program are Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. A conductor’s talk with Jonathan McPhee will precede the program at 7pm in the auditorium.
Gail Williams has presented concerts, master classes, recitals and lectures throughout the world. She was a member of the Chicago Symphony for two decades and promoted to Associate Principal Horn early in her tenure under conductor Sir Georg Solti. As featured soloist, she has performed with numerous symphony orchestras including the Chicago Symphony and her dedication to chamber music is equally strong; she is a founding member of Summit Brass, an ensemble with which she has made ten recordings, and regularly appears with other world-class chamber groups such as the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.
Williams grew up on a farm in a family dedicated to sports and music. She helped out milking cows and won a concerto contest on the same day she was declared “New York State Distinguished Holstein Girl.” An athlete all her life, she has been extolled in “Runner’s World” for her running regimen, which includes marathons and improves her breathing for producing the pure, strong sound for which she is known. Williams is professor of horn at Northwestern University and an ardent pedagogue. While in Lexington, she will participate in an interactive educational program at Lexington High School with Lexington Symphony conductor Jonathan McPhee, principal flautist Danielle Boudrot, and the LHS Wind Ensemble, whose director is Jeffrey Leonard.
This concert presents a rare opportunity to hear Williams’ unparalleled Chicago brass sound in Cary Hall, an acoustic gem and historic landmark in the center of Lexington. The Lexington Symphony is committed to sharing the appreciation of classical music and building community through premium quality live performances. Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Jonathan McPhee is Music Director of the Boston Ballet and one of New England’s leading musical figures.
To purchase advance tickets for Lexington Symphony performances, visit www.lexingtonsymphony.org, call (781) 863-9581 or stop by Wales Copy Center (1810 Mass Ave, Lexington Center). Ticket prices are $30; seniors $25, students $15.
