Youngstown Symphony Will Begin Season Without New Conductor
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra will open its season Saturday with a lively program it calls “Rhapsody Royale.”
The show will spotlight three composers with seemingly little in common: American pop and theatrical composer George Gershwin, Russian composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff and the British rock band Queen.
The concert was supposed to be the debut of Sergey Bogza, the YSO’s new conductor/music director, but that will have to wait.
The symphony announced this week that Bogza will not be able to be with the orchestra this weekend due to unforeseen circumstances.
Stepping in to lead the orchestra in his place will be Edward Leonard of Pittsburgh. Born in Charleston, S.C., Leonard studied violin starting at age 4 and later studied piano. He holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Carnegie Mellon University.
Leonard has conducted various ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. He also founded The Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh.
Saturday’s concert will also feature guest soloist Ilya Yakushev on piano.
The YSO’s chief administrator said he expects Leonard will bring a unique interpretation to the program that Bogza put together.
“We are looking forward to an inspiring evening of music, and we appreciate the understanding and support from our patrons, musicians and the community,” said Matt Pagac, chief executive and chief operating officer of the Youngstown Symphony Society.
In an August interview, Bogza described the concert program.
“I built it around the three most iconic rhapsodies of all time – ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by Gershwin, ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’ by Rachmaninoff and an orchestral version of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’” he said.
The reason has everything to do with Bogza’s vision for the orchestra and its relationship to the local audience.
“Rhapsodies are highly inventive and free flowing in mood, color and structure,” Bogza said. “I wanted to share that spirit of imagination and openness to new possibilities as we start the new chapter of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra.”
Bogza was hired earlier this year after a lengthy search that followed the death of the previous conductor, Randall Craig Fleischer, in 2020.
He is a Russian native who currently lives in Florida, where he is also music director of the Panama City Symphony.
The “Rhapsody Royale” concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Powers Auditorium. Tickets for all YSO concerts are available at YoungstownSymphony.com or by calling the box office at 330 259 9651.
Pictured at top: Ilya Yakushev will be the guest pianist at Saturday’s concert.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
