Looking for a reason to check out the upcoming Jackson Symphony Orchestra concert “Greetings from Scotland?” Why stop at one? Here are several:

• There will be three opportunities to see the concert at Weatherwax Hall, a smaller venue that will provide concertgoers an up-close-and-personal experience with the JSO musicians.
• Since the concerts will be held in downtown Jackson, attendees will have a great opportunity to go out to eat or get a beverage before or after the show.
• The concerts will be held just a few days before Valentine’s Day, which means an evening out in downtown Jackson could make for a perfect date night.
• Did we mention the music? Well, that is a great reason as well.

Greetings from Scotland will feature a pair of Romantic-era composers — and siblings — in Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel as well as the return of talented violin soloist Clara Saitkoulov. Concerts are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 with a 2 p.m. show scheduled for Feb. 11.

“The music isn’t as modern as some of the music we played in the first two concerts,” JSO Music Director Matthew Aubin said. “You can really kind of close your eyes and sit back and enjoy it. You don’t have to think about it too hard. It makes for a perfect night out around Valentine’s Day.”

The concert will open with Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s most famous and most performed piece, her Overture, which features a lively and energetic character with bold orchestration and expressive melodies that showcase her skill as a composer.

The second piece, Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, will feature Saitkoulov, who first performed with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in October 2021.

“She was phenomenal,” Aubin said. “I reached out to her because I just think she is one of those people who is going to keep climbing. We’re going to see her on stages around the world. She’s just a lovely person, and I think the audience will be really captivated by her performance.”

The concert will close with Felix Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony, also known as the Scottish Symphony. Mendelssohn, a German composer, was inspired by his travels to Scotland.

“In terms of Romantic-era music, which ended with some really large pieces and large orchestras, this is on the early side of it, so this is more conservative in nature,” Aubin said. “So that translates, I think, to the audience to super accessible music to listen to.”

Aubin said playing this concert at Weatherwax Hall is enjoyable for the musicians because the smaller venue means they get to perform the music multiple times to accommodate the audience. In addition to the downtown location and date night opportunities, he mentioned the intimate experience Weatherwax Hall provides as another great reason to attend.

“If you sit in the first row of the balcony, for instance, you can really look over and see down onto the orchestra,” he said. “If you’re in the first couple of rows on the floor, you’re going to have an instrumentalist like 10 feet away from you. You will almost feel like you’re in the orchestra.”

Tickets are available online at jacksonsymphony.org, at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra box office at Weatherwax Hall in downtown Jackson or by phone at (517) 782-3221. Ticket prices range from $20 to $35 with student tickets available for $5.

A pre-concert conversation for the Saturday show will start at 6:30 p.m. at Weatherwax Hall and is included in the ticket price. An afterparty that will allow concert goers to mingle with the musicians, guest artists, composers and other symphony fans that same night will be held at Weatherwax Hall. Tickets to that event are $20.

Contact

Mara Shehab, Marketing Coordinator

maras@jacksonsymphony.org

Tickets

• Click here
• By phone: (517) 782-3221
• In person: At the JSO box office (215 W. Michigan Ave. in Jackson)

Schedule

February 9, 2024

• 7:30 p.m.: Greetings from Scotland, Weatherwax Hall

February 10, 2024

• 6:30 p.m.: Preconcert conversation, Weatherwax Hall
• 7:30 p.m.: Greetings from Scotland, Weatherwax Hall
• After the show: Afterparty at Weatherwax Hall (separate $20 ticket)

February 11, 2024

• 2 p.m.: Greetings from Scotland, Weatherwax Hall