Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky concert

From “Swan Lake” to “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky has swayed the world with his iconic music. This weekend, anyone can witness his legacy.

The Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra will host All-Tchaikovsky, a performance consisting of many of Tchaikovsky’s work at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at McMahon Memorial Auditorium, 801 NW Ferris.

David Kim, a renowned violinist with a colorful musical background, also will perform a Tchaikovsky concerto at the McMahon Memorial Auditorium the same night.

Performances range from Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony in F Minor to Kim’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto in D Major.

One of the reasons why they chose the Fourth Symphony is because of the “incredibly rousing finale,” said Philharmonic Director Jon Kalbfleisch’s notes on music. The other reason is due to the pizzicato movement, which has yet to be duplicated by anyone else with great effect, he said. The pizzicato movement is where the player plucks the strings instead of using a bow, according to Merriam-Webster.

The reason why they chose the violin concerto is to hear Kim play it, Kalbfleisch’s note said. The piece is universally regarded as one of the finest concertos ever written for the instrument.

Born in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1963, Kim started playing the violin at 3 years old, according to his bio. He then began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at 8 years old and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School. Since then, he has achieved great things, including performing with The Philadelphia Orchestra and teaching at many different institutions, officials said.

For more information, contact Patty Neuwirth, Executive Director of the Orchestra, as (580) 531-5043.