MAINLY MOZART ANNOUNCES "GENIUS WEEK" NOV. 14, 17 AND 18 AT THE CONRAD

    SAN DIEGO, CA, September 11, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Mainly Mozart – organizer of the renowned Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival -- announces dates and programming for its 2023 "Genius Week." Hosted at The Conrad in La Jolla, this year's celebration of innovation and "genius in the spirit of Mozart within San Diego" will take place Nov. 14, 17 and 18. World premiere performances Nov. 14 and 18 are part of the inaugural California Festival, a two-week celebration of new music with 95 participating arts organizations across the state.

Nov. 14 features a world-premiere piano quartet composed by 17-year-old Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra trombonist Edric Saphire, performed by members from the San Diego Symphony and renowned pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. Night two of Genius Week is a celebration of 2023 San Diego Genius Honoree Dr. David Brenner, president/CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys. Night three features the Mainly Mozart-commissioned world premiere of Tapestry by acclaimed composer Clarice Assad.

Tickets for the Wednesday and Saturday concerts may be purchased at www.mainlymozart.org. The San Diego Genius Night Celebration and the Saturday post-concert after party are available exclusively to Genius Week Patrons.

2023 Genius Week Program

Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 7PM: Piano Quartet/Edric Saphire World Premiere
An intimate evening of chamber music with works by Mozart and the world premiere of an original work by Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra member Edric Saphire, performed by a piano sextet featuring internationally renowned pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, San Diego Symphony (SDSO) concertmaster Jeff Thayer, SDSO associate concertmaster Wesley Precourt, SDSO principal viola Chi-Yuan Chen, SDSO principal cello Yao Zhao and SDSO principal bassoon Valentin Martchev. Pre-concert conversation between pianist Anne-Marie McDermott and composer Edric Saphire.

Program:
Edric Saphire - Trumpet Fanfare
Mozart - Fantasia No. 3 in D Minor
Edric Saphire - Bassoon Sextet *WORLD PREMIERE*
Schumann - Piano Quintet

Friday, Nov. 17 | 7PM: San Diego Genius Award Dinner
Private dinner honoring the 2023 San Diego Genius Award winner, Dr. David Brenner (President/CEO Sanford Burnham Prebys) with a performance by vocalist Clarice Assad and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott in the JAI at The Conrad.

Saturday, Nov. 18 | 6PM: Mainly Mozart Commissions World Premiere: Tapestry
From the mind of acclaimed composer Clarice Assad comes TAPESTRY, an amalgamation of the ideas of 50 female musicians and composers from across the globe, built as a celebration of women. Performance featuring pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, violinists Ida Kavafian and Kerri McDermott, violist Clara Nebauer and cellist Ana Aznavoorian. Post-Concert dinner with the artists for Genius Week Patrons.

A list of composers and songwriters who have contributed to the Tapestry project to date, include: Alexandra Gardner, Aline Falcão, Ania Vu, Anna Clyne, Anna Paes, Badi Assad, Camila Costa, Caroline Rodrigues da Silva, Deborah Levy, Denise Fontoura, Elena Ruehr, Elodie Bouny, Heloisa tenor de Vasconcelos, Iara Gomes, Inga Wygant, Lara Bello, Luciana Souza, Lucina, Mikeila McQueston, Nicoletta Todesco, Paloma Pitaya, Pamela Marafron, Patrice Michaels, Paula Cardoso, Sandra Fidalgo, Silvia Ferrante, Sofia Cecato, Sophie Diner, Stephanie Brogan, Tami Belfer, Tarita de Souza, Thais Nascimento, Augusta Reed Thomas and Roxanna Panufnik

Program:
Ellen Zwillich - Piano Trio
Clarice Assad - Tapestry for Piano Quartet *WORLD PREMIERE*
Amy Beach - Piano Quintet

About Mainly Mozart
Since 1988, Mainly Mozart has brought the San Diego community together to experience the finest in orchestral music, intimate concert experiences and extraordinary music education for young people. In that time, the famed Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival has made its name as the largest gathering of Concertmasters and Principal Players in the United States, boasting top level players from the world's greatest orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonic and dozens more. Mainly Mozart's mission is to enrich the lives of today and tomorrow's passionate music lovers by connecting them to the genius and innovation of Mozart and the Masters, to world-class musicians and music-making, and to each other. For more information, visit www.mainlymozart.org. Keep up with news and announcements on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.

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