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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Columbia Theatre host ‘Beethoven in Blue Jeans’

    The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Columbia theatre as part of their “Beethoven in Blue Jeans” series with two special guests.  They will return to the Columbia     Theatre on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.  for their Christmas concert, “Yuletide Celebration.”

    The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Columbia theatre as part of their “Beethoven in Blue Jeans” series with two special guests.  They will return to the Columbia Theatre on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.  for their Christmas concert, “Yuletide Celebration.”
    Amber Grace Garrard/The Lion's Roar

    Two special guests took the Columbia Theatre’s stage with The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra during Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1.

    World-renowned pianist Sean Chen and conductor Aram Demirjian were able to be a part of LPO’s series of concerts called “Beethoven and Blue Jeans.”

    Demirjian, who has conducted over 200 performances in his time as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony, was featured in Tanglewood Music Center’s Festival of Contemporary Music and has even conducted Yo-Yo Ma and the members of the Silk Road Ensemble. He also won multiple awards for conducting and earned his Masters in Music at the New England Conservatory. 

    Demirjian took a moment before each piece to explain its context and meaning. The pianist chose pieces based on stories that inspired Shakespeare and even played a piece by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who wrote an overture from the Shakespearian play, “Much Ado About Nothing.”

    By using pieces from Korngold, Demirjian relayed the pieces back to its importance today. 

    “Korngold was changing the way we experience film, changing the way we experience drama,” said Demirjian. “This type of music was the precursor to sound track music to movies before we had movies.”

    After Korngold’s overture and intermission, Demirjian welcomed Chen to the stage.

    “We are very fortunate to have our featured soloist and the first American since 1997 to make the finals of the Cliburn competition,” said Demirjian.

    Chen has many other awards under his belt, like the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship award from the American Pianists Association, and has worked with many other prominent orchestras and has collaborated with many esteemed conductors. 

    Chen described his experience in the Cliburn International Piano Competition as stressful.

    “It was the most stressful time in my life, right up there with driving through a Texas rainstorm and getting married,” said Chen.

    Demirjian proceeded to lead Chen and the rest of the orchestra through Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto, which also titled the concert. 

    When the concerto was finished and the musicians took their bow, the whole theater gave a standing ovation that continued after Demirjian and Chen left the stage. Chen then came back on stage to take a second bow. Just when the clapping started to die down, it started back up again, and Chen returned to the stage.

    “Because you clapped a second time, I have a special treat for you,” said Chen. “I’m going to try some improvisation.”

    Chen then asked four string players to give him different notes. After the notes were given, he played them on the piano and paused for a moment before starting his on-the-spot piece. The audience gave him yet another standing ovation. 

    For more information on events like this in Hammond, you can contact the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. For more information on LPO events, visit their Facebook page. 

     
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