Joseph Swensen back to lead Northwest Sinfonietta in Mozart and more
It’s hard enough playing a Mozart concerto without directing an orchestra as well. But violin virtuoso Joseph Swensen, one of the Northwest Sinfonietta’s three artistic partners, returns this weekend to direct the chamber orchestra again from the soloist spotlight. In Seattle, Tacoma and Puyallup, Swensen will play Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, as well as directing the orchestra for romantic music by Dvorák and Tchaikovsky.
Swensen combined conductor and soloist roles with the Sinfonietta last year for a performance of the Brahms violin concerto, holding the difficult work together with intense concentration from the orchestra. For this concert, the Mozart — written when the composer was just 19 — replaces Swensen’s initial choice of the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2.
Also on the program is Dvorák’s passionate “Romance” in F minor for violin and orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s showcase “Souvenir de Florence.”
Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568, @rose_ponnekanti
Dvorák and Tchaikovsky
Who: Northwest Sinfonietta with Joseph Swensen.
When and where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle; 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Rialto Theater, 310 S. Ninth St., Tacoma; and 2 p.m. Sunday at Pioneer Pavilion, 333 S. Meridian Ave., Puyallup.
Tickets: $21-$36 in Seattle, $20-$50 in Tacoma, $35 with $10 student rush seats in Puyallup.
Information: 253-591-5894, broadwaycenter.org, northwestsinfonietta.org.
This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 8:03 AM with the headline "Joseph Swensen back to lead Northwest Sinfonietta in Mozart and more."