March 11, 2025

[Vancouver, WA. March 11, 2025] – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA’s 2024-2025 season continues with internationally celebrated harpist Cristina Montes Mateo on April 12 at 7 p.m. and April 13 at 3 p.m. at Skyview Concert Hall. Generously sponsored by Dr. Daniel and Hooja Kim, the orchestra will perform one of the most significant masterworks, Rimsky-Korsakov’s dazzling and colorful Scheherazade under the baton of VSO’s Music Director and Conductor Salvador Brotons. The program will also include Mateo’s performance of Montsalvatge’s thrilling Concerto Capriccio for Harp and Orchestra and a work from accomplished composer Dr. Kim titled Dongchimi arranged by Salvador Brotons for symphony orchestra. Both performances of this concert will also be available as a simultaneous live stream at vancouversymphony.org.

The program opens with Dongchimi, a composition based on the poem by Jong Yul Kim and dedicated to the memory of Dr. Kim’s late mother’s dongchimi, a Korean water radish kimchi. Following this piece, harpist Cristina Montes Mateo will join the orchestra to perform Concerto Capriccio for Harp and Orchestra from Montsalvatge, one of Spain’s leading 20th century composers. Montsalvatge apparently considered his 1975 Concerto Capriccio one of his best works, remarking “perhaps it was the challenge behind the composition; I wanted to write for the harp in such a manner that it would unite with heterogeneous orchestra. It made for interesting, and difficult work!” Although technically complex, the piece offers beautiful moments of intimacy between the harp and the rest of the orchestra.

In the second half of the program, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade inspired by The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Arabic and Egyptian stories dating from as early as the 10th century. The two main characters, the Sultan and the Princess Scheherazade, are represented through a pair of themes that recur in all four movements. The breathtaking violin solo represents Scheherazade’s captivating story-telling contrasted by the Sultan’s anger found in the low brass and woodwinds.

The 2024-2025 Symphonic Series season is presented by United Grain Corporation.

What: Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade
When: Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 pm, Sunday, April 13 at 3:00 pm
Where: Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 NW 139th St., Vancouver, WA 98607
March 9, 2025 at 3 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver, WA 98663
Tickets: Individual tickets available at vancouversymphony.org

Individual tickets are on sale at vancouversymphony.org or by calling (360)735-7278. Virtual-only tickets are also available, and all in-person ticket holders will have the option of viewing virtually.

The Saturday performance at Skyview Concert Hall will begin at 7:00 pm. The celebrated VSO pre-concert show, hosted by a VSO musician or Maestro Salvador Brotons, will be available for concertgoers to attend before the program from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The virtual live stream programming begins at 6:30 pm on Saturday to air Da Capo, a pre-recorded educational discussion of the composers and pieces being performed. The Sunday performance will begin at 3:00 pm, with the pre-concert show available to attend in-person from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm. The virtual live stream programming begins at 2:30 pm on Sunday.

All ticket holders will receive a secure email link to access the live stream performances.

Our tech support team will be on standby to assist you if you have any issues logging in during the performances.

About Cristina Montes Mateo
Winner of the unanimously 1st Prize in the XII Edition of the “Torneo Internazionale di Musica” (Rome, 2006) and the unanimously 1st Prize in the International Harp Competition “V. Bucchi” (2009), Cristina Montes Mateo is recognized as one of the leading harpists of her generation throughout the world. She has also won top international prizes at the “Arpista Ludovico” International Harp Competition (Madrid, 2005), the “International Nippon Harp Contest” (Tokyo, 2007), and the prestigious Concours International de Harpe “Lily Laskine” (Paris, 2011); as well as numerous national harp solo competitions like the “Jeunesses Musicales” Competition (2003) or “Victor Salvi” Special Prize at the “Arpa Plus” Contest (2001).

She follows an intensive career as a soloist with great success around the world. She usually appears with major orchestras like the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Philharmonic Orchestra of Málaga, Francisco de Miranda Orchestra in Venezuela, Orchestra of the Theatre für Niedersachsen Hannover in Germany, or the Santiago de Chile Orchestra; under the direction of B. Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, G. Prêtre, P. Boulez, or D. Barenboim. She performs at many world leading festivals like “Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims” (France, 2010), the “7th International Harp Festival” in Rio de Janeiro (Brasil, 2012), or her most recent success at the Royal Palace of Madrid (Spain, 2015), in a concert offered for the King and the Queen of Spain and the President of the United Nations and broadcasted internationally. She has also played at the Berlin Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall of London, Tonhalle in Zurich, Théatre du Châtelet of Paris or the Carnegie Hall of New York.

She is currently Solo Harpist at the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía, an orchestra created by Lorin Maazel and conducted also by Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev and Riccardo Chailly. She has also been Principal Harp with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

About Salvador Brotons
Maestro Salvador Brotons returns for his 34th season as Music Director and Conductor of the VSO. In addition to the VSO, he has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears “Ciutat de Palma” (1997-2001, 2009-2013) and the Orquestra Sinfónica del Vallés (1997-2002). He is presently the Conductor of the Barcelona Symphonic Band. In 2005, he received the Arts Council award from Clark County and the City of Vancouver as well as the Kiwanis Rose Award. He has guest conducted orchestras in countries such as the U.S., Israel, France, Germany, China, Poland, South Korea, Mexico, Uruguay, and Colombia.

About The VSO
The VSO, now in its 46th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington's arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community. For more information, please visit vancouversymphony.org.

About our Sponsors
The VSO is generously supported by individual donors, The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Realvest Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, AC Hotel by Marriott, United Grain Corporation, Columbia Credit Union, All Classical Radio, Gravitate, Dick Hannah Dealerships, The Columbian, Michelle’s Piano Co., Pacific Office Automation, Steinway & Sons Portland, The VIC, Kiggins Theatre, and Opsahl Dawson.

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THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PO BOX 525 VANCOUVER, WA 98666 PHONE 360-735-7278 FAX 360-906-0355
www.vancouversymphony.org