Trinidad, Port-of-Spain
— Trinidad and Tobago
National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO), conducted by Jessel Murray, present their annual formal concert which will feature the first complete performances of the Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1 in Trinidad. These concerts will occur at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium, NAPA on Saturday 4th June at 8:00
p.m. and Sunday 5th June
at 6:30 p.m.
“Pan
On A Higher Note”
Vincentian-born concert pianist Sean Sutherland, will be the piano soloist for the Tchaikovsky. Mr. Sutherland, a former child prodigy, will fly in from Montreal, where he now makes his home, to play this world famous piece with the NSSO. He is no stranger to local audiences having thrilled patrons at Queen’s Hall two years ago with his brilliant performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the National Sinfonia Orchestra.
Other parts of the programme will be devoted in part, to a celebration of dance by three of Trinidad’s leading dance companies. The Cascade Festival Ballet will perform excerpts from “Les Sylphides”; Metamorphosis Dance Company will perform to the music of
renowned steelpan artist and
composer
Ray Holman; while the Susan Mohip Dance Company will perform to the music of Jit Samaroo.
Well-known vocalists Christopher “Tambu” Herbert and Kizzy Ruiz will also join the Orchestra to perform a mixture of Broadway and gospel pieces.
In the last three years the NSSO has performed nationally, including its debut performances in 2008 at Queen’s Hall, Naparima Bowl and the Van Guard Hotel, Tobago. Other notable concert performances have followed including: the “Genesis in Steel” concerts as part of the NAPA Fest series in 2010; nationally televised concerts at Daaga Auditorium, University of the West Indies and at the Phase II, Skiffle Bunch and
Trinidad All Stars Panyards.
Other performance credits have included performances at the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) at the Hyatt Regency (2009). The Orchestra performed at the opening of the Hyatt Regency in 2008, at the opening ceremonies of the National Academy of the Performing Arts (NAPA) in 2009; as the opening guest ensemble for the 2010 Panorama Finals at the Grandstand of the Queen’s Park Savannah; and at the official naming of the Lord Kitchener Auditorium at NAPA in 2011.
The National Steel Symphony Orchestra
International appearances have included a marquee performance at Carifesta X in Guyana in 2008 where the Orchestra received a prolonged standing ovation for their concert which included
a wide ranging repertoire. The Guyana Chronicle wrote that “the orchestra made full use of its penchant for moving from muted passages to thundering big moments, very effectively indeed.” In 2010, the NSSO journeyed to Costa Rica to perform as part of the Credomatic XX International Music Festival, where they presented four concerts and received standing ovations at each venue. A fifth concert was presented at the Trinidad and Tobago Embassy in San José on the occasion of the Independence celebrations of both countries.
Members of the Orchestra have performed on two occasions with the National Sinfonia Orchestra in works specially commissioned for symphonic orchestra with the inclusion of steelpans including the
world premiere of Gary Gibson’s
Caprice, Gibson’s setting of Kitchener’s
Rainorama and Gibson’s orchestration of Jit Samaroo’s iconic arrangement of
Pan in A Minor.
Tickets for this gala event are available at the NAPA Box office.
For more
information contact NAPA box office
at 1 (868) 295-5509 or the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism
1 (868) 627-4991.
