Conor Hanick,
piano
Mozart Masonic Funeral Music
Sibelius Symphony No. 5
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"
Sibelius Finlandia
Also playing Sunday, January 22 at 2:30 pm in Iowa City at West High School
As the air is turning frigid outside, we welcome you in to warm yourself with the fiery music of Sibelius. His fifth symphony has been quoted by many artists including Leonard Bernstein and John Coltrane.
We welcome back to the stage pianist and Iowa native Conor Hanick, with Beethoven's fifth and final piano concerto, the
Emperor. The nickname was given after Beethoven's death and refers not to a person, but rather the heroic nature of the music.
This program opens and closes with an interesting reference to the Freemasons. Mozart composed his funeral music in memory of two fellow Masons. Much like his
Requiem, it is dark and serious music. The concert concludes with Sibelius' most famous work,
Finlandia. An original, signed manuscript of the piece is housed at the Masonic Library of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.