Island Symphony Orchestra honors women in music

Continuing a concert season that has featured one superlative guest artist after another, the Island Symphony Orchestra will perform a program that celebrates women in classical music. Special guest soloist Leelanee Sterrett will perform the Horn Concerto of the trailblazing British composer, Ruth Gipps (1921-1999). The concert will be held on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the beautiful St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church—the same resonant space where the orchestra performs their renowned annual Bach festival.

Sterrett has been a member of the New York Philharmonic since 2013 and has been described by “New York Classical Review” as a “stunning” soloist. She is a past prizewinner in the International Horn Competition of America, has made solo appearances at Carnegie Hall, and also serves on the horn faculties of New York University and Rutgers University.

Composer Ruth Gipps’s career was affected strongly by discrimination against women in the male-dominated ranks of music. Because of this opposition, she developed a fierce determination to prove herself through her work. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, Gipps’s Horn Concerto, Opus 58 was written for her son and first performed in 1969. It is a warm-hearted, accessible work that has many earmarks of the Romantic style typical of Gipps’s work.

Under the direction of music director and conductor Eric Stewart, the second half of the program will feature a performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s popular symphonic suite, “Scheherazade” (also known as “The Arabian Nights”), which tells the story of one of the most fascinating and beloved female characters in the literary canon.

While the Island Symphony Orchestra is kicking off its Women in Classical Music series during Women’s History Month, the series of concerts focused on women will not be restricted to the month of March. Following the March 15 concert, the next concert in the series will be held Sunday, May 19, when the Island Symphony Orchestra will perform works by award-winning composer Jessica Meyer, and a performance by a winner of the annual Young Person’s Concerto Competition. Next, on Sunday, Nov. 10, guest soloist Gohar Vardanyan will perform Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Island Symphony Orchestra. Two additional concerts will be held at Bay Shore’s Second Avenue Firehouse this fall, featuring violist and composer Jessica Meyer, and classical guitarist, Gohar Vardanyan

“The series will celebrate the progress women have made in a field that has been dominated by men for centuries,” shared Susan Barbash, vice president of the orchestra. “Women of talent, like Leelanee Sterrett, Jessica Meyer, and acclaimed guitarist Gohar Vardanyan now enjoy the recognition (and career opportunities) they deserve. This is to be celebrated.”

Tickets for the March 15 concert can be purchased at the door, priced at $15 for adults, and free for students.