Santa Rosa Symphony’s “Road to 100” Beethoven series is off to a fabulous start

Francesco Lecce-Chong, Santa Rosa Symphony’s Music Director, receives a standing ovation at Sunday’s inaugural “Road to 100” concert at Green Music Center. Photo: ARThound

Francesco Lecce-Chong joyfully completed his sixth season as Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director yesterday afternoon with an outstanding launch of the first concert in SRS’s “Road to 100” Beethoven concert series.  The enthusiastic audience, which packed the hall at Green Music Center, was treated to Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 1 and 3 and they went wild, especially for the orchestra’s No. 3 or “Eroica” which seemed very fresh under Lecce-Chong who conducted both pieces crisply and energetically without a score. 

Every time, I attend a concert Lecce-Chong conducts, I come away full. He brings out the best in his musicians and his enthusiasm for music and for teaching makes attending exciting. Comprised of four movements, Eroica’s first movement is almost as long as some completed works, approx 18 min, and the rapture of it is almost destroyed by the second movement’s dark funeral march. Even with so many recognizable passages, it provides ample room for interpretation and Lecce-Chong’s twist was in his pacing, proceeding at a clip, but retaining the intense lyricism of the beautiful score.

SRS will present all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies over the next three years as a lead up to its centennial celebration in the 2027-28 season.   The performances also feature the orchestra in unique configurations reflecting how symphonies in Beethoven’s time may have been played, making use of the wonderful acoustics of Green Music Center.  In year two of the “Road to 100: series, SRS performs Beethoven’s Symphony no. 2, bright and optimistic, highlighting his mastery of the classical form and Symphony No. 5, one of the most recognizable and beloved pieces of music ever composed.

Lecce-Chong is also Music Director of the Eugene Symphony.  During his tenure as Music Director of these two orchestras, Lecce-Chong has pulled off several ambitious projects, combing old favorites with new ambitious works. He launched the “First Symphony Project” that consists of the Santa Rosa and Eugene Symphonies co-commissioning a large-scale work from a young American composer each season, complete with residencies in the community. The Eugene Symphony has embarked on a three-part concert presentation of Wagner’s complete “Tristan und Isolde” and the SRS launched a cycle of the large orchestral works of Rachmaninoff paired with legendary film composers entitled “RACH and the Hollywood Sound.” In the previous 2022-23 season, Lecce-Chong led the world premieres of five major orchestral works including Grammy-winning composer Michael Daugherty’s ecology-inspired work, Enrico Chapela Barba’s work for mariachi and orchestra, and David Schiff’s dramatic work with actors based on the life of Olympic distance runner Steve Prefontaine.

An inaugural “Beethoven Barbecue” followed yesterday’s performance and offered a chance to mingle with Lecce-Chong, SRS orchestra musicians and friends. Those in attendance at yesterday’s concert were treated with free drink vouchers that could be redeemed at the barbecue.  Next up in the Symphony’s summer programming is the August 18 launch of their new summer series “Symphony Uncorked” at Deerfield Ranch Winery.   The all-day immersive experience includes four solo performances, a guided wine tasting and talk and special performance in Deerfield’s 23,000 sq ft wine cave  by the Cellists of Santa Rosa Symphony.

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For more information about Santa Symphony’s upcoming events, visit: https://www.srsymphony.org/