#PickoftheWeek | Queens Symphony Orchestra Returns to St. John’s for an Outdoor Concert
BY QEDC It's In Queens
It’s a summer night that people think about for the rest of the year.
Queens Symphony Orchestra presents a Summer Concert at St. John’s University’s Great Lawn on Thursday, July 28, at 7 pm.
Back after a two-year, Covid-induced break, this annual outdoor event features Jazz overtones and Classical masterpieces. The night’s two main pieces are George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Roberto Molinelli’s “Four Pictures from New York,” which will feature internationally renowned saxophonist Otis Murphy.
And in response to current international affairs, QSO will perform “Prayer for Ukraine,” a non-Jazz piece by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov.
Here’s the score.
Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer”
George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris”
Valentin Silvestrov’s “Prayer for the Ukraine”
Roberto Molinelli’s “Four Pictures from New York”
1. “Dreamy Dawn”
2. “Tango Club”
3. “Sentimental Evening”
4. “Broadway Night” with Otis Murphy on saxophone
George David Weiss and Weiss Robert Thiele’s “What a Wonderful World” with Murphy.
Founded in 1953, QSO is the oldest and largest professional arts organization in Queens. It’s also the borough’s only professional orchestra and the only NYC orchestra that’s not based in Manhattan.
The director, Maestro Martin Majkut, is a former Fullbright scholar who was named an Emerging Artist by the League of American Orchestras in 2016. Born in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), the multi-linguist also directs the Rogue Valley Symphony in Ashland, Oregon. He earned his Ph.D. in conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts while serving as Assistant Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic. He earned a D.M.A. from the University of Arizona in 2008. He also studied at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, and at the Wiener Meisterkurse in Vienna, Austria.
“This year’s Jazz theme promises to inspire our guests to keep in step to the sounds of music,” said SJU Vice President for Community Relations Joseph Sciame. “The financial support provided by Con Edison and University funds make it possible for us to offer everyone a chance to sit back and enjoy music from around the world.”
Admission and parking are free at the Jamaica university’s main campus. Motorists are asked to enter via Gate One at 80-00 Utopia Pkwy. (They’re also encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.)