To start its 19th season, the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra will present a program of 18th century works this Saturday. Featured soloist will be the University of Utah’s Heather Conner playing J.S. Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052. “Heather is a wonderful pianist,” said Paradigm music director Joel Rosenberg. “This is the first time that I’ll be working with her and I’m looking forward to it.”

Joel Rosenberg

Also on the program are two early works by Mozart, the Divertimento for Strings in F major, K. 138, and the Symphony No. 23 in D major, K. 181.

Rounding out the concert are Vivaldi’s Concerto for Bassoon, Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits and Bach’s Badinerie from the Orchestral Suite No. 2. Soloing will be Tia Jaynes, flute, and Robert Bedont, bassoon, both members of the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra and the American West Symphony. “They’re wonderful players,” Rosenberg said. “These are all pieces that they chose to play.”

Rosenberg said the music of Bach and Mozart are among the most difficult to play well, but this is a carefully chosen program that complements the Bach concerto and the Mozart symphony.

Heather Conner

A couple of weeks after the Paradigm concert, Rosenberg will leave for Germany for three weeks as part of a cultural exchange program between Sandy City and Riesa, Germany, its sister city. “This will be my first time conducting an orchestra in Europe since I conducted the Accademia di Santa Cecilia as a student. I’m very excited about this,” Rosenberg said.

In Germany, Rosenberg will conduct three concerts with the Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen, which has its home in Riesa, in the easternmost part of Saxony near the Czech border. “There will be performances in three different cities,” Rosenberg said. On Oct. 10, he and the orchestra will play in Meissen; the following evening they’ll be in Perna; and on Oct. 12 they’ll appear in Riesa.

For these concerts Rosenberg will open the program with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3. The remainder of the program will be taken up with American works. “We’ll be playing Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Dvorák’s New World Symphony, which was written while Dvorák was staying in a Czech community in Iowa,” Rosenberg said.

Kelly Richardson (Photo Credit: Tom Sparks Photography)

Rounding out the concert will be a work by American West Symphony violinist and composer Kelly Richardson, The Battle of Shiloh. “It’s a very descriptive piece about the battle,” Rosenberg said. “It’s a short work and very well written. It has compelling rhythms and melodies.”

In addition to the orchestral concerts, Rosenberg, who is also a violist, will play a chamber music concert with the concertmaster and principals of the philharmonic. “We’re doing two works by Dvorák, the Piano Quintet [in A major, op. 81] and the American Quartet [in F major, op. 96].”

There will also be some time for sightseeing, Rosenberg said. “I’ve never been to this part of Germany so I’m planning on going to Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden while I’m there.”

While Rosenberg is in Germany, the American West Orchestra will give its first concert of the season on Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 21 under guest conductor Richard Chatelain. On the program will be the first movement from Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor, K. 466, with teenager Anastasia Magamedova as soloist; and two Slavonic Dances by Dvorák, as well as two movements from his Symphony No. 9, From the New World. Rounding out the concert will be Cascade by American West trombonist Mark Johnston, who will conduct his piece.

• CONCERT DETAILS
• What: Heather Conner, piano, Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, Joel Rosenberg, conductor
• Venue: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
• Time and Date: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 20
• Tickets: $10, at the door

• CONCERT DETAILS: 
• What: American West Symphony, Richard Chatelain and Mark Johnston, conductors
• Venue: Assembly Hall on Temple Square
• Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10
• Tickets: Free
• ALSO:
• What: American West Symphony, Richard Chatelain and Mark Johnston, conductors
• Venue: Butler Middle School, 7530 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights
• Time and Date: 8 p.m. Oct. 11
• Tickets: $10, at the door
• ALSO:
• What: American West Symphony, Richard Chatelain and Mark Johnston, conductors
• Venue: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
• Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21
• Tickets: $10, at the door, U. students free