Events

Born in Seoul, Korea, and educated at Juilliard in New York City, the members of the Ahn Trio—sisters Maria, Lucia, and Angella—are redefining the art and architecture of chamber music, breathing new life into the standard piano trio literature with commissioned works from visionary composers like Pat Metheny, Kenji Bunch, Maurice Jarre, Nikolai Kapustin and Michael Nyman. The trio’s latest CD, Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac (recorded by their own label, L.A.M.P.) made No.8 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. and the special edition release is now available on RCA Red Seal label. Lucia, Angella, and Maria thrive on dissolving the barriers between art forms.  

They have fused their work with that of dancers, pop singers, DJ’s, electronic music artists, painters, installation artists, photographers, lighting designers, ecologists, and even kite makers and received critical acclaim for their collaborative project with the David Parsons Dance Company in the past. 

Possessing an enviable combination of talent and style, they have long been natural subjects for the international press. They made their magazine premiere very early on, in Time‘s cover story, “Asian American Whiz Kids.” They have gone onto frequent fashion pages the likes of Vogue and GQ. In 2003, they were named three of People Magazine‘s 50 Most Beautiful People. Their first recording of Ravel and Villa-Lobos trios, brought raves, such as Audio Magazine‘s ”...this is one of Ravel’s best and never better played...” and the next, an EMI recording of Dvorak, Suk, and Shostakovich, won Germany’s prestigious ECHO Award.  

Pianist Azusa Hokugo, who has concertized in Asia and the U.S. for two decades, will perform in place of Lucia Ahn in this concert. Hokugo has showcased her talents as a soloist with renowned orchestras like the Osaka, Nishinomiya, and Kobe Symphony Orchestras in Japan, as well as the Mahidol Wind Symphony in Thailand and Mus’Art Wind Orchestra in Singapore. Additionally, she has participated as the 4th member of the Ahn Trio in chamber recitals alongside the Spokane, WA and Owensboro, KY symphony orchestras. She has also been featured as the guest featured soloist in the Emmy-winning PBS series, “11th & Grant with Eric Funk.” Dr. Hokugo holds a Doctoral degree (DMA) in piano performance from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of Music & Arts, a recipient of the Mason Gross Dean’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Artistic Achievement Award. 

Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981) 
Starburst for String Orchestra 

“This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst: ‘the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly’ lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble who premieres the work, The Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the piece with their dynamic in mind.” — Jessie Montgomery 

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) 
Triple Concerto 

During the Baroque era, the Concerto Grosso with its multiple—most often three—soloists, gradually gave way to the solo concerto. The use of multiple soloists continued in the Sinfonia Concertante, a form that reached its highest popularity between 1775 and 1800, but continued to appear as late as the 1820s and ‘30s. Mozart and Haydn made distinguished contributions to the genre, and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, though not labeled as such, continues the tradition. 

The Triple Concerto was written in 1803–04 for sixteen-year-old Archduke Rudolph, who had recently become one of Beethoven’s piano students, and who would later become one of his major patrons. The Archduke could command the services of violinist Ignaz Seidler and cellist Anton Kraft as fellow soloists, but a performance by the three never materialized. Instead, when the work was published in 1807 with a dedication to another of Beethoven’s patrons, Prince Lobkowitz. It was finally premiered in 1808 by other soloists, but the poor quality of the performance left the work with a negative reputation, and it was not played again during Beethoven’s lifetime. It is still seldom performed, but that is due more to its extravagant solo requirements than to any perceived lack of quality in the music itself. 

Tonight is the Billings Symphony’s third performance of Beethoven’s, er, Triple Concerto. The above notes, by former Symphony librarian Jeffrey M. Edgmond, accompanied the February 2012 performance by Concertmaster Randy Tracy, then-Principal Cellist David Heinzen, and pianist Gustavo Romero. 

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) 
Suite from Pulcinella 

Impresario Sergei Diaghilev (1872–1929) set early 20th-century Paris ablaze with his legendary Ballets Russes in 1909. Over the next 20 years he commissioned groundbreaking scores from many of the leading composers of the day, including Debussy, Ravel, Strauss, Falla, Prokofiev, and, most importantly, Igor Stravinsky. It was Diaghilev who gave a young Stravinsky his first big career break, and the two enjoyed a fruitful—and, at times, contentious—collaboration, beginning with the pre-WWI triumphs of The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring.  

In 1919, Diaghilev decided to adapt a comic episode featuring Pulcinella, the traditional hero of 16th-century Italian commedia dell’arte stories, into a new ballet. Unfolding in one act, the story follows the title character; his girlfriend, Pimpinella; his friends Furbo, Prudenza and Rosetta, and his not-so-friends Florindo and Cloviello, as they stumble through a farcical series of intrigues involving love, deception, and disguise, before happily ending—of course—with marriages for all the couples. 

For the music, Diaghilev asked Stravinsky to orchestrate a collection of unpublished instrumental works (mostly string trios, canzones, and the like) by the 18th-century composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and others which he had discovered in Naples. Stravinsky was originally cool to the idea—“I thought he must be deranged”—but with Diaghilev’s continued pressing, he finally agreed to look at the scores … and fell in love. Stravinsky later wrote that "Pulcinella was my discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible.” 

Diaghilev simply expected a “stylish orchestration,” and Stravinsky’s score keeps the original melodies, structures, and harmonies intact … at first. As the ballet and subsequent suite progress, listeners start to discern Stravinsky’s shadowy presence. Harmonic and rhythmic twists are added—at times, layered over the original and others, replacing—so that by the end of the work, the transformation of authentic Baroque music to pure Stravinsky has taken place.  

Pulcinella opened in Paris on May 15, 1920, with choreography by Léonide Massine—who also danced the title role—and sets and costumes by Pablo Picasso. The concert suite, consisting of eleven movements of the ballet's eighteen, was made in 1922. 

The concert will showcase 80 minutes of music and will include a 20-minute intermission.

Whenever you want! Seriously, the tradition of clapping only at the end of pieces was only for a short time in the history of music. Typically, people like to clap after a great solo in a jazz tune, an impressive dance move, or after a great movement (section) in a symphony. If you really like a piece, clap at the end of the movement and yell "encore" if you want to hear more. (We love playing encores!)

Reserved Seating:

Tier 1 ticket - $69
Tier 2 ticket - $64
Tier 3 ticket - $54
Tier 4 ticket $39

Under 30/Student:

Tier 2 ticket - $38
Tier 3 ticket - $32
Tier 4 ticket - $20

*all ticket prices do not include box office fees

Tickets start at $39 for adults, $20 for under 30 and students, and go up to $69 based on the seat location. The least expensive seats are in the back of the balcony and in the front row closest to the stage.

Here are some other helpful tips you should keep in mind:

• Interested in additional savings? Buy a subscription! Contact us at 406-252-3610 or visit our offices at 2820 2nd Avenue North and we'd be more than happy to find the best deal for you. Subscriptions for our 2023–2024 season are available!
• If you’re a student, veteran, or active duty military, be sure to bring your student/VA/Military ID for great discounts!

Third party tickets are not accepted. All tickets must be purchased through the Alberta Bair Theater Box Office.

More than anything, we want you to have fun and express your own style when you come to the Billings Symphony, so dress in a way that works for you. Some people love dressing up and going out—if that’s you, do it and you won’t be the only one, we promise. If you prefer to be more casual, then you probably won’t be the only one dressed casually, either. In short, you do you, and we’re just glad you’re joining us.

On-Street Parking

On City streets, there is both metered parking and posted parking. Metered parking times range from 2 hours to 10 hours and is free after 5 pm and on weekends.

There are two free handicap parking spots on the corner of North Broadway in front of U.S. Bank.

Garages

Park 1
Credit/Debit Cards Only. Located at 2912 Third Avenue North and is open to the public 24-hours per day – the office is open Monday through Friday, from 10:30am-6:30pm. There is free parking on Sundays.

Park 2
Credit/Debit Cards Only. Located at 2651 First Avenue North, Park 2 is open to patrons 24-hours per day – the office is open from 7:15am – 11:00pm, Monday through Saturday.

Park 3
Accepts Cash. Located adjacent to City Hall at 210 North 27th Street and is open 7am-11pm – the office is open Monday through Friday from 10:30am – 6:30pm. There is free parking on Sundays.

Park 4
Located at 515 North 31st Street. The garage and office are open only Monday through Friday from 5:30am – 9:30pm. After 9:30pm, parkers are unable to remove their vehicles from the garage.