Details

Bill Eddins and the ESO present a night of youthful Beethoven with music both familiar and unusual – including a recently discovered Oboe Concerto, the piano concerto the young composer used as a display piece to establish himself in Vienna, and the optimistic symphony he composed in spite of his impending deafness.

Learn more about the performance at Symphony Prelude: 7:15 pm in the Upper Circle (Third Level) Lobby.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2
Beethoven: Oboe Concerto: Largo

$69 Dress Circle (A)
$59 Terrace (B)
$51 Orchestra (C)
$38 Upper Circle (D)
$28 Gallery (E)
$20 Orchestra Front (F)
(click map for interactive version)

Tickets subject to applicable service charges.

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The next Classic Landmarks Masters performance is January 23, 2010.

Program Information

Program

Beethoven:  Romance cantabile in E minor for Flute, Bassoon and Piano (5’)*

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major (28')*
 William Eddins, conductor & piano

Intermission

Beethoven: Oboe Concerto: Largo (7')*
 Lidia Khaner, oboe

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 (32')*

Artist Information

William Eddins is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. A native of Buffalo, New York, he currently resides in Minneapolis with his lovely wife Jen, a clarinetist, and their two boys Raef (AKA Raefster; Munchers) and Riley (AKA Squeaky; The Imp; Dr. No).

Bill has been playing piano since he was five when his parents bought a Wurlitzer Grand piano at a garage sale.  He started conducting during his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music, and most of the '80s were spent trying to decide whether to pursue a career in conducting or piano.  The quandary was answered for him when he realized that the life of a poor, starving pianist was for the birds.  In 1989 Bill decided to study conducting with Dan Lewis at the University of Southern California, from whence he managed to land assistant conductor posts with the Chicago Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra in 1992. 

Bill has many non-musical hobbies including: cooking, eating, discussing food, and planning dinner parties.  He is also quite fond of biking, tennis, reading, and pinball.  Unfortunately, due to pianistic paranoia his days in the martial arts are long over.

Bill is committed to bringing classical music to the greater public.  He has started a podcast – Classical Connections – which is dedicated to exploring the history of classical music and highlights live chamber music performances in which Bill has taken part (check it out for yourself at Bill Eddins' website).  He has also produced a solo piano CD – Bad Boys, Volume I – which features Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata and Albright's Nightmare Fantasy Rag. His latest recording, on the Naxos label, features American music for cello and orchestra.

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