The Redlands Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Ransom Wilson, will present an evening of music composed by Robert SCHUMANN, highlighted by a performance by flute soloist, Gerardo Lopez, winner of this year’s Concerto Competition held by the University of Redland’s School of Music. Mr. Lopez will perform the Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 283 by Carol REINECKE. The concert begins at 8 PM. Doors open at 7 PM. Maestro Wilson will present a pre-concert talk starting at 7:15 PM.
Two pieces by Schumann, Overture to Genoveva, op. 81 and Symphony No. 1 “Spring” will round out the evening’s program.
“The Redlands Symphony is happy to support the annual Concerto Competition at the University of Redlands as a part of our ongoing close relationship with the School of Music,” Wilson said about the upcoming concert featuring Mr. Lopez.
Speaking about the rest of the concert program, Maestro Wilson had this to say: “Robert Schumann is one of the brightest lights in classical music. A troubled soul, his brooding and touching music seems to embody the emotional and dramatic nature of the entire Romantic movement in the 19th Century.”
“As a young musician, this is an extraordinary opportunity for me,” noted Lopez, “I have been working for many years to reach this point and I am grateful to my teachers, family and friends who have supported me during this journey. Performing with the Redlands Symphony and Maestro Wilson is a great honor.”
Born in Los Angeles, CA, Mr. Lopez, 23, began playing the flute at the age of 10 when he entered junior high school. He continued his music studies in high school, including private lessons with Dr. Wendy Rolfe and Lance Van Lenten at the Berklee College of Music.
“I was about eight or nine when I discovered classical music,” Lopez recalls, “I was listening to a collection of the ten greatest piano pieces on a CD and that was it. I loved the music and knew then, that I wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts.”
Gerry attended Pasadena City College (PCC), earning an A.A. in Music with summa cum laude honors. While there, he studied with Jamie Pedrini and was active in the orchestra and chamber ensemble programs. At the end of his time at PCC, he was awarded the Music Department’s highest honor: “Honors Extraordinaire.”
Gerry is a member, of the University’s Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, as well as a member and conductor of the school’s Flute Choir. Gerry has qualified to perform as a student member of the Redlands Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Ransom Wilson. This is his third season of playing on select RSO concerts.
Gerry has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Pasadena City Honor Band in the 123rd and 124th editions of the Rose Parade. He has also performed with 29 Live Band with such musical guest soloists as Diana Ross and Macy Gray.
Recently, Gerry has been exploring contemporary music including performing an all-world premiere of new works as part of the Sound and Fury concert series, directed by Christian Dubeau and Christine Lee at the Art Share L.A. in Los Angeles. He is also one of the founding members of PHAZE Ensemble, a Redlands-based group focused on bringing contemporary music to the Redlands community in an accessible and engaging way. The inaugural concert last July featured a work collaboratively composed by the members of PHAZE, titled “Caged Bird Song,” which was inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird.”
“My goal is to teach and do research at a university or college as a music theory professor,” explains Gerry, “I have interests in music cognition research which is a special niche under the broader umbrella of music theory.”
In his spare time – what there is of it – Gerry likes watching YouTube videos, reading poetry, star gazing on clear nights, and following the news: “I’m a bit of a news junkie,” he says. Gerry is proud that he’s made it this far in his academic career without having a cup of coffee and plans to keep it that way at least until he finishes his PhD.
The Symphony office is located at 210 E. Citrus Avenue, in Redlands, California.