"Celebration VII " for string orchestra (2000) by Theodore Antoniou

"Celebration VII" for string orchestra (2000)
by Theodore Antoniou (Greece)

Andreas Tselikas, conductor

Tudor Dornesku, violin I
Marcio Candido, violin I
Alexandra Labinska, violin I
John Bian, violin II
Chen Ti Lin, violin II
Scott Woolweaver, viola
Kathleen Kalogeras, viola
Kevin Crudder, violoncello
Arnold Friedman, violoncello
Nathan Varga, double bass
Alexander Trampas, double bass

Performed live at Boston University's Tsai Performance Center
685 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

on April 25, 2012

During the ALEA III concert: "An International Salute to Roman Totenberg"

"Celebration VII" for string orchestra was composed in March 2000 for the Greek orchestra Kamerata. All of Antoniou's works with the same title celebrate specific events, friends, orchestras or ensembles. "Celebration I" for the National Orchestra of Armenia; Celebration II (for brass) was a wedding present to one of the composer's collaborators; Celebration III was written for the Greek Metropolitan Choir of New York; Celebration IV was written for Babis Farandatos, a distinguished Greek clarinetist; Celebration V, for Jacques Cousteau, the famous oceanographer; Celebration VI, for Tassos Kypreos, a wonderful Greek trombone teacher.

Celebration VII could be considered a concerto for strings, with free form, free use of tonality and atonality. The piece has a vitruoso character and uses material of the Greek musical tradition.

This is a live archival recording.