SC Philharmonic Celebrates Return to its “Groove” With Launch of the 2021/2022 Masterworks Series

“With our ongoing focus on  women composers and composers of color, it is important to bring attention to these composers from the past as well as the present …,”

- Morihiko Nakahara

Morihiko Nakahara - photo by Kevin Kyzer

Morihiko Nakahara - photo by Kevin Kyzer

The South Carolina Philharmonic presents Mendelssohn’s “Scottish”  Symphony Saturday, October 9, 2021, 7:30 PM at the Koger Center for the Arts. This first  concert of the 2021/2022 Masterworks Series features Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s Overture  in C Major, Andrea Gabrieli and Mark Scatterday’s Aria della battaglia, Vivaldi’s Concerto for  Four Violins in B minor and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, op. 56,  “Scottish.” The Vivaldi spotlights SC Phil Concertmaster Mary Lee Taylor Kinosian, and SC Phil  musicians Ashley Horvat, Damir Horvat and Sophie Wang. All concerts this season will be  presented in person and livestreamed. 

Following a season of production challenges because of COVID, Music Director Morihiko  Nakahara mused on the most thrilling way for the SC Philharmonic to return to the Koger Center  for the 2021/2022 Masterworks Series. “Frankly there are many ways for orchestras to celebrate  ‘the return to normalcy,” said Nakahara. “One could feature a huge piece to raise the roof like  Beethoven's 9th, or one could enlist a marquee guest artist. We're taking another approach that  says: ‘this is our musical family, and welcome back to our musical home, both in-person and  virtually.’” 

Nakahara went on to explain that the first concert of the season is continuing the organization’s  artistic goals, while also celebrating the talent within the community. “With our ongoing focus on  women composers and composers of color, it is important to bring attention to these composers from the past as well as the present,” said Nakahara. “We also wanted to create fun ways for  our musical family to get back into the groove, like highlighting several of them in a solo role.  We are doing this with the Vivaldi on this program, and the Bach on the next program. We also  get to highlight various sections of the orchestra in the Gabrieli piece - for example, our winds  and brass sections.” 

The concert will be bookended by pieces that were composed by siblings Fanny and Felix  Mendelssohn. This pairing has been a longtime goal of Nakahara’s. Felix Mendelssohn remains  one of Maestro’s favorite composers since his days playing the clarinet. He believes that the  "Scottish" Symphony highlights the well-documented aspect of Mendelssohn's creative output  as a painter, and expects listeners to hear, see and smell what the composer must have  experienced when becoming inspired in Scotland. Though history doesn’t reveal much about  how Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C Major came to be, Nakahara believes listeners can sense Fanny’s joy and excitement in writing for a full orchestra, which makes it a stunning  opener for this concert and for the season. 


Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony will be presented on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 7:30 PM  at the Koger Center for the Arts.

Tickets may be purchased at scphilharmonic.com or by calling  the Koger Center Box Office at 803-251-2222.

Audiences are encouraged to visit the Koger  Center’s website to learn about all safety protocols for in-person performances:  kogercenterforthearts.com

The SC Philharmonic will continue to follow CDC and  University of South Carolina guidelines for the safety of the audience and musicians.

For  October 9, audience members will be required to wear masks and are asked to watch the  performance virtually if they are not vaccinated.