Carson City Symphony to play premier

The Carson City Symphony, conducted by David Bugli, will perform at 4 p.m. today at the Carson City Community Center.

The concert will feature Frank Levy, international performer and a faculty member of the Juilliard School, in Rachmaninoff's famous romantic masterpiece the Piano Concerto No. 2.

The program also includes the world premiere of Canadian composer Matthew Tran-Adams' "The Refugee Child," which is dedicated to all Vietnamese "boat people"; Schumann's Symphony No. 4; and Chabrier's "España Rhapsody."

Assistant Conductor Chris Ruzin will lead the orchestra in Wagner's "Procession to the Cathedral."

Levy is known as an artist of rare poetic insight and communicative powers. A semifinalist in the Leeds and Clara Haskil international piano competitions, he performs frequently in the United States, Canada and Europe.

He has been soloist with orchestras in such prestigious venues as Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Royce Hall in Los Angeles, Gardner Hall in Salt Lake City and the Stadthaussaal in Winterthur, Switzerland.

Tran-Adams of Toronto, Canada, incorporates folk music of different cultures into modern compositions. He has been an accompanist, church music director, musician in rock and Celtic bands, director of musicals, flutist in orchestras, lounge pianist, freelance Celtic harpist, flutist and pianist and educator.

About "The Refugee Child," he said, "April 30, 2005, will mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the beginning of a mass exodus of Southern Vietnamese people from their homeland for fear of persecution.

"'The Refugee Child' uses the traditional Vietnamese children's folk song 'Ly Ngua O (Song of the Black Horse)' to depict a child's journey from the security and familiarity of home to an unknown and possibly dangerous future. The folk song starts in a very traditional carefree manner, but it quickly loses all of its innocence."

Tran-Adams attended the Fallon concert Saturday.

Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 for seniors and students and free for children 16 and under.