From his performances in the films Black Swan and 12 Years A Slave, world-renowned Violinist Tim Fain returns to perform the Montana premiere of his new violin concerto –Edge of a Dream. Opening Night continues with the Third Symphony by Florence Price, the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. The excitement of the evening continues with dinner, drinks, and auctions at the Opening Night After Party!
TIM FAIN
Avery Fisher Career Grant-winning violinist and composer Tim Fain has earned a reputation as a mesmerizing creator and performer, now coming into his own as a composer with an authentic voice, recognized for his original compositions in film/TV, VR, concert music, theater, and extended media, and performances on soundtracks for award-winning feature films. Seen on-screen and heard in the soundtracks to award-winning films Black Swan, 12 Years a Slave, and Moonlight, Fain’s violin playing is also prominently featured in Glass, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Don’t Look Up, Indignation, and HBO’s Succession (where he also makes a cameo).
Whether touring with Philip Glass as duo partner, performing solo with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, or collaborating with artists ranging from Mitsuko Uchida to Meredith Monk, Bryce Dessner, DJ Spooky, Iggy Pop, or Christina Aguilera, Fain electrifies audiences across the globe, even on-stage at the NYC Ballet, at The Vatican, and performing for the Dalai Lama’s 80th Birthday.
TIM FAIN’S EDGE OF A DREAM
As a composer, Tim Fain’s music took shape with his appearances and collaborations in films. In 2005, he served as the violinist for Richard Gere’s character in the movie Bee Season. Five years later, Fain appeared on screen in the film Black Swan and co-arranged the music. He has since collaborated often with award-winning composer Nicholas Britell. Together they worked on the score for the 2016 film Free State of Jones, and Fain co-arranged and performed the on-screen music in the film 12 Years A Slave. Their recent film music includes Tale of Love and Darkness and several episodes from all four seasons of Succession, including an onscreen cameo appearance.
“As often with tragedies or world-changing events, artists capture our thoughts, fears, anxieties, determinations, and beliefs that allow us to find commonality and connection. New works by poets, painters, sculptors, and composers are blooming because of the recent pandemic and its effect on humanity,” explains Maestro Allan R. Scott. This is especially true for Tim Fain. In addition to having more time with his family, he had time to reflect and write his first larger work for violin solo and orchestra. “I now realize that I needed to express this intense, and at times, forceful yearning during the pandemic to hold on to the dream of a better future,” Fain writes as he began his Edge of a Dream in the spring of 2020.
FLORENCE PRICE’S THIRD SYMPHONY
Despite the remarkable achievement of being the first black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra, Florence Price and her music went virtually unnoticed until recently. After Price’s First Symphony premiered in 1933 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was not published until 2008. Her Second Symphony has been lost, and her Symphony No. 4, composed in 1945, was finally published in 2020.
“Even though it is Price’s Symphony No. 1 that gives her a place in history, her Third Symphony is far more original and mature in concept,” writes Maestro Scott. Price explained that her Symphony No. 3 is “African American in character and expression,” but differently than in her First. The Third, she explained, is “a cross section of present-day Black life and thought with its heritage of that which is past, paralleled, or influenced by concepts of the present day.” Price was referring to her ambitious concept of mixing the old-world Romantic sounds with 20th century dissonances, and explosive percussive moments.
OPENING NIGHT AFTER PARTY FUNDRAISER
The Helena Symphony celebrates 69 years of symphonic music in the Helena community with the highlight event of 2023 – the Opening Night After Party! The Opening Night After Party fundraiser will be a joyous and vibrant celebration complete with exquisite catered cuisine, cocktails, and a thrilling live and silent auction. We have moved the concert to 5:30 p.m. to make way for the celebration – join us at 7:30 p.m.!
Join the Helena Symphony at the Helena Civic Center Ballroom immediately following Masterworks I: Violinist Tim Fain’s Edge of a Dream on September 16th for the Opening Night After Party. Tickets are on sale now on the Helena Symphony website or by calling the Symphony office at 406.442.1860. Single tickets are $69, a table of 8 is $502, and a table of 10 is $640.
MASTERWORKS SERIES PRESENTED BY AARP MONTANA
The Helena Symphony is elated to announce we will continue our partnership with AARP to bring exceptional symphonic music to thousands across western Montana. As the Masterworks Series presented by AARP Montana, this continued collaboration will support audiences within the concert hall, bringing the highest quality symphonic performances and guest artists to Helena. The Helena Symphony is grateful for the generosity of the whole AARP Montana team!
Other Season highlights include the gorgeous Mozart by Candlelight, a double feature of opera and ballet with Cavalleria Rusticana and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, the return of Christmas in the Cathedral with two amazing performances, and the delightfully triumphant Fifth Symphony by Gustav Mahler. Season 69 also includes several free Educational Concerts, a black-tie Masquerade, and much more!
In addition to the substantial discounts on season tickets, subscribers also receive the new Bring A Friend Pass, The Art of Listening Newsletter, first access to Non-Series Concerts, and several other benefits. Single concert tickets can also be purchased ($55-$15 plus a $5 transaction fee) online at www.helenasymphony.org, by calling the Symphony Box Office (406.442.1860), or visiting the Symphony Box Office located on the Walking Mall at the Placer Building (21 N. Last Chance Gulch, Suite 100) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets for the remaining Non-Series Concerts, Mozart by Candlelight and Christmas in the Cathedral, go on sale to the public on Monday, September 18.
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See below for Season concert listing.
Maestro Scott, guest artists, and Director of Patron Services Scott Kall are available for interviews by contacting the Symphony at 406.442.1860 or [email protected]