Beyond Voids - Joshua Mallard

Schelomo: Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra - Ernest Bloch

Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 - Antonin Dvorak

The Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra will present their first concert of the academic year featuring winners of two of our competitions for students; the 2023 concerto competition and Penn State Ensembles Call for Scores.

The program begins with Beyond Voids, a piece by Joshua Mallard (MM Composition ‘23). Inspired by the music of John Williams and Holst’s The Planets, this piece takes you on a voyage into space.
Selected as one of the winners of the 2023 concerto competition, Ruth Stokes will be the soloist for Schelomo: Rhapsodie hébraïque for cello and orchestra by Ernest Bloch. This is the final work of the composer’s Jewish cycle. Although inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes, no particular event is mentioned. Bloch navigates through the struggles and triumphs of King Solomon in a very rhapsodic nature where the cello (representing the voice of Solomon) and other solo instruments are in constant dialogue with the orchestra.

The central piece of the program is Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 in G major composed on the occasion of his election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts.
The symphony, which is in the traditional four movements, is cheerful and optimistic with a great influence of Bohemian folk music.

Venue: Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus
Parking: Parking in Eisenhower Deck is available at no charge for attendees with a Penn State parking pass. Parking can be purchased otherwise through ParkMobile.
Note: If you reserve your parking through ParkMobile more than 24 hours before the event, you can purchase parking for the normal price, compared to the $10 event price you normally pay day of.
Purchase Tickets: Arts Ticket Center
$12.50 adult | $4.50 student
Box office opens one hour prior to curtain.
Livestream Available: School of Music Media