South Bend Symphony opens season with percussionist, Syrian-American's symphony

SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Symphony Orchestra opens its 91st season with a concert titled “Silk Road + Strauss” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St.

Percussionist Joseph Gramley, a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble performs as guest soloist for Chen Yi’s Percussion Concerto.

Gramley’s first solo recording, “American Deconstruction,” contains five milestone works in multi-percussion’s new modern repertoire. His second solo recording, “Global Percussion,” continues his exploration of important works for the idiom and includes two new commissions and the first release of Philip Glass’ “1 + 1.”

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The program also features the United States premiere of Syrian-American Malek Jandali’s Symphony No. 6, The Desert Rose.

SBSO Music Director Alastair Willis conducted the work’s world premiere in Doha with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

In a press release, Willis says, “His music is a unique and compelling fusion of ancient Arabic and Qatari melodies with the modern symphony orchestra. … The Desert Rose weaves a captivating tapestry of emotions, painting a vivid picture of the vast expanse of the desert and its timeless beauty.”

The concert concludes with Richard Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite, and orchestral suite drawn from his opera “Der Rosenkavalier, or The Knight of the Rose.”

Tickets are $99-$19.

For more information, call 574-235-9190 or visit morriscenter.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Symphony Orchestra opens season at Morris Performing Arts Center