Stilian Kirov and Peter Makedonski were fellow students in Bulgaria and may even have performed together, but Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s next concert marks their first collaboration as conductor and soloist.
Kirov, music director for Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts “Chamber Gems: A Musical Journey” Nov. 17 at Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Chapel in Palos Heights where trumpeter Makedonski and Bulgarian pianist Nadejda Tzanova are featured soloists.
“He’s quite younger than me. We used to go to the same school. He was very impressive from a very young age,” said Kirov via phone from Omaha, Neb., where he was guest conducting the Omaha Symphony later that evening.
“He has a duo with the Bulgarian pianist. They’ve performed all over the world and also in the United States. They’re going to perform Shostakovich together. Makedonski will also perform Neruda’s ‘Trumpet Concerto,’” he said.
“I think he and I even played in an orchestra together when I was still playing oboe when I was younger. I probably conducted an orchestra that he played in but for the first time we will be working in a soloist-conductor relationship.”
“Chamber Gems: A Musical Journey” includes Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Czech composer Johann Baptist Georg Neruda’s “Trumpet Concerto in E-flat.”
The program also features English composer Edward Elgar’s “Serenade,” which Kirov calls “one of the hidden gems of string orchestra repertoire,” and Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s “Holberg Suite,” which honors playwright Ludvig Holberg.
“We wanted to present our audience with some repertoire that is more for chamber orchestra but at the same time equally exciting as other programs in our season. We have probably something for everybody,” Kirov said.
“There is this element of diversity but also this element of looking into the past.”
Kirov cites “Holberg Suite” as “one of my very favorite pieces.”
“It was in 1884. There was a 200-year celebration of Holberg’s birth. Grieg was asked to write a piece. The composer looked into music and knowledge from Holberg’s time and wrote in a new way. Even the names of the movements are based on old-style dances,” Kirov said.
Kirov, who is also music director for Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra in California and New Jersey’s Symphony in C, said Piano Concerto No. 1 features “exciting modern language.”
“It’s still an early work but you feel that voice of trumpet. It’s a piece with quite an independent voice. The main solo is piano but the trumpet has dialogue with the piano,” Kirov said.
“It always makes me think of Greek theater as trumpet plays the role of the chorus in Greek comedies and tragedies. It’s really an interesting way that the composer uses the instrument.”
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra made history with its season-opening concert, “American Originals,” in October when composer-in-residence Ben Ash world-premiered “Cut My Legs from Underneath Me.”
“This was his first piece for us. We were very excited to premiere it. It was wonderful and very successful. I love that he also experimented. What he created was very compelling,” said Kirov about Ash, who won the inaugural “Classical Evolve” composer competition.
“The nature of this position is for composers to have a chance to write something new. In the spring we will have two more pieces. We try to give a reasonable amount of time for creativity and, of course, we are looking forward to the next compositions.”
‘Chamber Gems: A Musical Journey’
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17
Where: Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Chapel, 6601 W. College Drive, Palos Heights
Tickets: $37 Bronze; $47 Silver; $57 Gold; $67 Platinum; $10 students; $27 We-Pick-Your Seat (only available in advance)
Information: 708-481-7774; www.ipomusic.org
