Commission Consortium: Zhou Tian Flute Concerto for Mimi Stillman

April 11th, 2022

Mimi Stillman will give the world premiere of Zhou Tian‘s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra with the Marine Chamber Orchestra and Director Col. Jason Fettig on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 2:00pm at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center in Alexandria, VA. The concerto, written for Mimi Stillman, was commissioned by a consortium of orchestras including the Marine Chamber Orchestra of the U.S. Marine Band “The President’s Own”, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (NC), Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME), Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, and Allentown Symphony Orchestra.

The program also includes Mimi Stillman performing Piazzolla’s Libertango in a new arrangement by Scott Ninmer, Mozart’s Overture to “The Magic Flute”, and Ravel’s Mother Goose. The concert is free to the public.

Flutist Mimi Stillman is an internationally acclaimed solo, chamber, and recording artist hailed by the New York Times as “not only a consummate and charismatic performer, but also a scholar. Her programs tend to activate ear, heart, and brain.” Praised for her “exquisite purity of sound and depth of emotion” (Diario de Yucatán), she has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras and as recitalist and chamber musician at prestigious venues throughout the United States and internationally. A leader in the new music field contributing important new works to the repertoire for her instrument, Stillman has given 60 world premieres in 17 seasons with Dolce Suono Ensemble, of which she is Founding Artistic Director. Stillman’s artistic diversity makes a unique mark on the music world – winning the Bärenreiter Prize for Historical Performance, engaging Latino communities through her award-winning Música en tus Manos project which features Latin American chamber and popular music, and reaching a global audience as masterclass teacher and Livestream and media host. 

Grammy-nominated Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian(JOH TEE-en) seeks inspiration from different cultures and strives to mix them seamlessly into a musically satisfying combination for performers and audience alike. His music — described as “absolutely beautiful…utterly satisfying” (Fanfare), “stunning” (the Cincinnati Enquirer), and “a prime example of 21st-century global multiculturalism” — has been performed by leading orchestras and performers in the United States and abroad. His recent work Transcend, commissioned by 13 American orchestras commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion, was highly praised.

Stillman and Zhou Tian share an artistic vision and are excited to be working together on this compelling project. They build on a fruitful, longstanding collaboration which has included Zhou Tian’s Dolce Suono Ensemble-commissioned work Viaje, which Mimi Stillman has performed and recorded, and other creative performance and recording projects. Of Viaje, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Zhou Tian’s Viaje fused the composer’s Chinese-American sensibility with the lore of ancient Spain so convincingly that the exotic flute solos for Stillman sounded like the most natural thing in the world.” 
Links:

Marine Chamber Orchestra concert calendar: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Calendar/

Venue information: Schlesinger Center

Mimi Stillman’s website: https://www.mimistillman.com/

Mimi’s YouTube / Instagram / Facebook

Dolce Suono Ensemble’s website: https://dolcesuono.com/

Zhou Tian’s website: https://zhoutianmusic.com/