In a deeply moving new work, American composer Leanna Primiani centers the heroic stories of the survivors of human trafficking, painting a sonic landscape that emerges from tragic darkness into hope and light, and awakening our understanding of this tragic issue. Stefan Jackiw, a virtuosic musician with “talent that’s off the scale” (The Washington Post) makes his Lakes Area debut in Dvořák’s passionate and emotional Violin Concerto.
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Featured Artists
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LEANNA PRIMIANI: Neither man nor money validate my worth. (9 minutes) READ – WATCH
- American composer Leanna Primiani wrote this piece in 2022 and, in it, explores the life of a child victim of human trafficking.
- LAMF flute player Brook Ferguson played in the world premiere performance and recommended we perform it, saying “It starts out darkly and ends with the most luminous coda; literally darkness to light. Sometimes our biggest hero is our own inner strength and resilience.”
- Minnesota has the 3rd highest human trafficking cases in the U.S., however Minnesota has also become a leader in the nation in its response and is building its response to labor trafficking.
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK: Violin Concerto in A Major. (32 minutes) READ – WATCH
- A “Concerto” is a piece that features a solo instrumentalist – in this case, a violin player – accompanied by an orchestra. The solo part is typically very difficult and gives the soloist a chance to show off their skills.
- Our soloist will be Stefan Jackiw, a New York based Korean-Ukraian soloist who has performed with many of the top orchestras worldwide. He's returning to Minnesota after performing with the Minnesota Orchestra in 2019.
- This concerto was first performed in Prague. Antonín Dvořák wrote the piece after being inspired by one of the leading violinists of the day, Joseph Joachim. However, Mr. Joachim disagreed with some of the decisions Dvořák made in writing it and ended up never performing the piece.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Symphony No. 38, “Prague”. (28 minutes) READ – WATCH
- Mozart was famous around Europe and this symphony received its premiere in 1787 on his first visit to Prague; hence the nickname which it is still known as today.
- This symphony features the woodwinds (flutes, oboes, and bassoons) more prominently than in Mozart's previous works. The woodwind players of Bohemia had a stellar reputation throughout Europe, so he took advantage of the opportunity and also gave the audience in that region what they would have wanted.
This performance is sponsored in part by Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF). All LAMF activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Five Wings Arts Council, thank to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
