Kalamazoo Philharmonia - "Virtuosity" - Amit Peled, cellist

True virtuosity is an undeniable thrill for the listener: to hear a great artist sustain a beautiful line as if in one long captivating breath or walk the tightrope of an impossibly difficult passage is to engage with the possibilities of human accomplishment. In two classic solo works of this sort, we have the great honor of welcoming world-famous cellist Amit Peled to our stage, who performs on the instrument of Pablo Casals.

It’s not only soloists, but ensembles, too, who can thrill with virtuosity. And so Amit’s appearance is flanked by two works that dazzle with orchestral brilliance: Strum, for string orchestra, by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery, who is as accomplished a composer as she is a violinist; and Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski’s towering, folk-inflected modernist masterpiece, the Concerto for Orchestra.