April 2, 2026
"Southern Tier Symphony presents: Brahms, Borodin, and Lehar"
Blaisdell Hall at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is pleased to welcome back the Southern Tier Symphony for a concert featuring the music of giants from the Romantic period. Maestro Ben Grow is set to lead the orchestra in performances of Lehar's Merry Widow Overture, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances, and the magnificent Symphony No. 2 in D major by Brahms.
Two of the pieces on the symphony's program - by Lehar and Borodin - share a common theme where they are taken from larger works by their respective composers. Lehar's Merry Widow Overture was not originally included in the composition of the operetta of the same name. It wasn't until its 400th performance that Lehar composed the overture, however the original shorter introduction to the operetta is preferred over this overture. In contrast, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances are taken from his opera "Prince Igor" from the end of the second act. Although the Dances were included in the original production, the opera itself was unfinished when Borodin died in 1887, where it was finished by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov in 1890 based on Borodin's compositional sketches.
Brahms' Symphony No. 2 was composed during a stay in the Austrian province of Carinthia. Brahms's stay in the picturesque lakeside retreat led to the composition of this symphony as well as the motet "Why Is The Light Given to the Wretched?" Perhaps some gloominess of this motet rubbed off on the composition of this symphony, as the composer is quoted saying this of his work:
"I have to confess that I am a severely melancholic person, that black wings are constantly flapping above us, and that in my output - perhaps not entirely by chance - that symphony [the Second] is followed by a little essay about the great 'Why.'"
The Southern Tier Symphony would like to thank the University of Pittsburgh at Bradord for their continued support and patronage through the years.
An extra special thank you to all of our patrons and sponsors for keeping the music going, including the following business sponsors (in no particular order):
- High Point Federal Credit Union
- Worth W. Smith
- Brother's Bistro
- Cutco / KA-BAR
- Nottingham Trust Division of CBNA
- Fox Financial
- Zippo Manufacturing Company
- Beef-N-Barrel
- Beat City Music
- University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
About The Music Director and conductor, Benjamin Grow
Conductor Benjamin Grow has worked with a wide array of ensembles in New York City and serves as Principal Conductor of Chelsea Opera, Co-Director/Conductor of the sinfonietta Ensemble Échappé presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and has been in residence at the Italian Academy at Columbia University. As music director of Tom Cipullo's acclaimed opera, Glory Denied, at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia, Grow "expertly coached the singers and led the orchestra" (Broad Street Review), and his "fine detailing delivered the ferocious power of this score" (Huffington Post), in what The Philadelphia Inquirer said was the "most unforgettable opera" of the year. He has also conducted studio recordings and workshops for Opera Philadelphia with artists including Frederica von Stade. Recent engagements include concerts with the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Mr. Grow teaches at The Juilliard School and has been guest conductor at the Manhattan School of Music. For several years, he co-presented an annual lecture at the 92nd Street Y, "The Physics of Music," as part of their Mysteries of Science series, and has given pre-concert talks at the Museum of Biblical Art. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and his Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music.
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