New and Levin: Walker, Ginastera and Mozart

George Walker was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Composed when Walker was only 24 years of age and inspired by Samuel Barber’s popular Adagio for Strings (they were classmates at the Curtis Institute for Music), Lyric for Strings was born from the slow movement of his first string quartet and is a serene lament to Walker’s grandmother. Argentinian-born composer Alberto Ginastera takes you on a wild ride far from the oft-expected lush tones of more traditional harp music.  His muscular Concerto with glissandi, runs, sound effects and folk-inspired dance tunes features the DSO’s very own Emily Levin, Principal Harp, center stage. The program concludes with Mozart’s exuberant Symphony No. 38, an upbeat orchestral showpiece written during his visit to Prague.

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