Saturday, November 21st, 2026 | 3:00pm
Umstattd Hall | Zimmermann Symphony Center
2331 17th St. NW
Canton, OH 44708
DESCRIPTION
“Connected through rhythmic grooves and dance styles,” the music of our fourth MasterWorks program is a perfect introduction for families and first-time listeners of live orchestral music. Music director finalist Austin Chanu leads this whimsical and electrifying concert of engaging works from the orchestral canon.
Clarice Assad’s Brazilian Fanfare opens the concert with a vibrant blend of some of the most widely recognized Brazilian rhythms, including the samba from Rio de Janeiro and the chorinho from São Paulo. It also features a slower waltz, calling back to the dance’s enormous popularity and its place in early Brazilian musical traditions. The orchestra is delighted to welcome Assad herself for this performance.
Written during a period of constant travel, Sergei Prokofiev has said in interviews about his Violin Concerto No. 2 that “[this] concerto shows the kind of nomadic concert-tour life I led then.” Performed by Juliette Kang, the concerto reflects a mix of influences, from lyrical, almost classical lines to sharper, more percussive passages, with a finale shaped by unmistakable Spanish character.
Similar to Brazilian Fanfare, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances draws on a range of dance styles, restyling familiar forms like the march and waltz, along with the more abstract, such as a dance for the dead. Quirky and fun (one of the few orchestral works to include saxophone!), this magnificent work is sure to delight all audiences.
PROGRAM
Brazilian Fanfare………………………………………………………………….Clarice Assad
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63………………………..Sergei Prokofiev
Intermission
Symphonic Dances ………………………………………………….Sergei Rachmaninoff
TICKETS
$20 / $35 / $45 / $60 / $70
Includes fees. Additional $2 to mail tickets.
FAMILY FRIENDLY CONCERT – Adults with accompanying children: 50% off
College Students (18+): FREE
Children 17 and under: FREE
Veterans, First Responders, Healthcare Workers, & Educators: 20% off
SNAP & Medicaid Recipients: 20% off
Groups of 10 or more: 20% off
Subscribers: additional tickets 20% off
*Must call to redeem discounted tickets
*Discounts do not apply to Economy section
Box Office: 330-452-2094
boxoffice@cantonsymphony.org
Hotel Accomodations
The Canton Symphony Orchestra is a proud partner of Embassy Suites by Hilton at the Akron-Canton Airport, who have offered CSO patrons an exclusive rate to book rooms attending our concerts from out of town. To take advantage of this special offer, please click the link below or the image above. The rate is $135/night!
7883 Freedom Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720 | (330) 305-0500
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Juliette Kang, violin
Appointed first associate concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2005, Canadian violinist Juliette Kang enjoys an active and varied career. Previously assistant concertmaster of the Boston Symphony and a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Ms. Kang’s solo engagements have included the San Francisco Symphony, l’Orchestre National de France, the Baltimore Symphony, the Boston Pops, the Omaha Symphony, the Syracuse Symphony, and every major orchestra in Canada. Internationally she has performed with the Czech Philharmonic, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the KBS Symphony in Seoul. She has given recitals in Philadelphia, Paris, Tokyo, and Boston. In 1994 she won first prize of the 1994 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and was presented at New York’s Carnegie Hall in a recital that was recorded live and released on CD. She has also recorded the Schumann and Wieniawski violin concertos with the Vancouver Symphony for CBC Records.
In 2012 Ms. Kang was again a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall for the visit of her hometown orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony, and that season she made her Philadelphia Orchestra subscription debut with guest conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
Ms. Kang has been involved with chamber music since studying at the Curtis Institute of Music. Festivals she has participated in include Bravo! Vail, Bridgehampton (Long Island, NY), Kingston (RI), Marlboro, Moab (UT), Skaneateles (NY), and Spoleto USA. In New York she has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; at the Mostly Mozart Festival with her husband, cellist Thomas Kraines; and at the Bard Music Festival. With Philadelphia Orchestra colleague violist Che Hung Chen, pianist Natalie Zhu, and cellist Clancy Newman she is a member of the Clarosa Quartet, dedicated to exploring and enriching the piano quartet repertoire. | LEARN MORE
Austin Chanu, Conductor & Music Director Finalist
Hailed as “one of the great talents in the USA at the moment” by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Brazilian-American conductor Austin Chanu has earned recognition as a three time recipient of the Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation U.S., and as the third prize and orchestra prize winner in the Korean National Symphony Orchestra International Conducting Competition.
In the 25-26 season, Austin will make debuts with The Syracuse Orchestra, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra. He has also been named a finalist in The Mahler Competition 2026 and will compete in June conducting the Bamberger Symphoniker. In recent seasons, he has appeared as a guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica Banatul Timișoara, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, and Butler County Symphony Orchestra.
Austin recently completed his tenure as the Assistant Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, where he assisted Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. During this time, he co-lead a project to restore, rebuild, and elevate the underperformed works of American composer William Grant Still. He helped create and conducted the world premiere of a newly restored edition of Still’s Wood Notes. | LEARN MORE