Programme concert 22 June 2024

Dear visitors,

Welcome to the spring concert of the Zuid-Hollands Symfonie Orkest. We are delighted to play three special pieces of music for you tonight.

We open with Rossini’s Wilhelm Tell overture, a piece about an adventurous spirit and heroic stories. This will be followed by Vaughan Williams’ tuba concerto, in which our talented soloist Eglė Liutkauskaitė will show how special and versatile the tuba is as a solo instrument. After the interval, we will take you through Schumann’s Reinische Symphony, a symphony steeped in romanticism and the landscapes of the Rhine region.

We hope you enjoy listening and look forward to meeting you for drinks afterwards.

On behalf of the entire ZSO,

Wendy Brooshooft (committee member)

Conductor and orchestra

Dominic Sierat, the resident conductor of the orchestra since May 2022, has an impressive background as both conductor and trombonist. His passion for music and broad experience contribute to the growth and development of the orchestra.

As a conductor, Dominic has been active in various orchestras and projects since the age of 18. Besides his role as a conductor, Dominic is also a talented trombonist. He works as a freelancer with various orchestras and ensembles in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Dominic is creative and enthusiastic and strives for innovation. He likes to use his experience from professional practice as a classical musician for the further development of the ZSO.

The Zuid-Hollands Symfonie Orkest (ZSO) is a relatively young orchestra, founded in 2000, with its home base in The Hague. The orchestra is known for its combination of ambition and fun, which gives its members ample opportunity to showcase their talent and develop further.

Besides classics such as Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert, the orchestra also performs more modern pieces by composers such as Gershwin, Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Through this variation in repertoire, the ZSO works to develop flexibility and musicality. As a result, weekly rehearsals remain varied and challenging, and this contributes to the growth and artistic development of the orchestra members.

Programme

Rossini’s William Tell overture takes you on a journey through the Swiss Alps. William Tell was a Swiss folk hero from the 14th century who was tasked with shooting an apple off his son’s head with his crossbow. This succeeded, but after threatening the governor, William Tell was still captured. During a storm, he managed to flee and eventually kill the governor after all.
The overture begins quietly, but then the orchestra erupts into a tempestuous storm. Listen to the vibrant strings, rousing horn parts and powerful percussion that reflect the excitement of the hunt. In the silence after the storm, we hear a duet between the flute and oboe, followed by perhaps the most famous theme from this overture. In the final section of the overture, we hear the Swiss soldiers liberating their country. Altogether, Rossini’s music is a perfect blend of excitement, adventure and breathtaking scenery.

We often see the tuba – wrongly – as a background instrument. In his 1954 tuba concerto, Ralph Vaughan Williams rectifies this image. He introduces us to the beautiful sounds of this extraordinary instrument.
The concerto begins with a lively and energetic opening with a playful dialogue between tuba and orchestra. This is followed by a slower, lyrical movement in which the tuba shows its warm, expressive side. The final movement is cheerful and full of humour, almost as if the tuba is joking with the audience.
Vaughan Williams succeeds in showcasing the tuba’s versatility, from its deep, resonant sounds to its surprising agility. In doing so, he was the first composer to give the tuba a well-deserved place as a solo instrument.

Anyone listening to Schumann’s third symphony hears the Rhine. This piece, which Schumann composed in 1850, takes us to the picturesque surroundings and bustling life along the river.
The first movement erupts with a joyful, energetic melody that evokes the power and majesty of the Rhine. This theme returns again and again, as a musical reminder of the flowing river. The second movement has a folk-dance-like character, light and playful, as if witnessing a village festival on the waterfront. The third and fourth movements are more subdued and contemplative, with beautiful melodies reminiscent of a quiet morning mist over the river. The final movement brings the symphony back to its powerful, optimistic character, in the form of a triumphant finale.

Soloist

My name is Eglė and I am very excited to perform for you today. Since I started to play the tuba at age 13, I have always dreamt of performing the Concerto for Bass Tuba by Ralph Vaughan Williams with a symphony orchestra and I am more than happy to see this dream of mine become true. This concerto holds a special place in my heart, not just because it is a beautiful composition, but also because it was the first concerto ever written for the tuba, debuting in 1954.
Playing this piece presents a unique challenge. So many talented musicians have performed it before me, setting an incredibly high standard. However, I find this challenge to be encouraging. It pushes me to elevate my performance and bring my best to every rehearsal.
Events like this are especially exciting for me. My preparation strategy is straightforward: practice diligently and ensure that I have given my utmost effort. This approach helps me to be confident and ready to deliver my best today.
I am particularly excited to work with the ZSO and the great conductor Dominic Sierat. The dedication of this orchestra inspires me, and I am looking forward to a wonderful collaboration.
Thank you for being here and sharing this experience with me. I hope you enjoy the performance.