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The Program
Emilie Mayer - Overture No. 2 in D Major
Christian Colberg - Viola Concerto
Felix Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, “Scottish”
Concert Snapshots
Emilie Mayer called music her “life-companion” and spent her life writing symphonies, overtures, and more chamber music than most composers of her time.
Christian Colberg’s Viola Concerto is inspired by the story of Don Quixote.
Mendelssohn wrote down the opening theme of his Scottish Symphony while visiting the ruins of a chapel in Edinburgh.
Want to learn more? Click the button below to explore articles about the composers and the pieces, and read the program notes.
Explore the Music
Wine Sponsor
Before the concert and during intermission:
Wine is available from our wine sponsor.
Sweet treats and non-alcoholic drinks are also available.
All proceeds support the Walla Walla Symphony.
About the Guest Artists
CHRISTIAN COLBERG, VIOLA
Violist, violinist, and composer Christian Colberg began his musical studies at the age of four in his native Puerto Rico. At sixteen, he enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. He is currently Principal Viola of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and has previously served as Assistant Principal Viola with the Baltimore Symphony. Colberg also holds principal positions with the Bellingham Festival of Music and Aspen Music Festival Chamber Orchestra, and is on the artist-faculty at the Aspen School. He has taught at both the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Colberg has received numerous honors, including the Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation Fine Arts grant and recognition by both the House of Representatives and the Senate of Puerto Rico for his contributions to classical music.
As a chamber musician, he has performed with artists such as Gary Karr, Augustin Hadelich, Leon Fleisher, Sharon Robinson, and Marvin Hamlisch, and with ensembles including the Muir, Cypress, and Ariel String Quartets. His work has also been featured in the Silk Road Festival in China.
A passionate composer, Colberg’s Viola Concerto has been performed by the Cincinnati Symphony and several other orchestras. Its second movement, Aldonza, was a required piece for the 2014 Primrose International Viola Competition, and the third movement, Sancho, was featured in the 2024 Sphinx Competition.
On a personal note:
Colberg’s love of music was sparked by a record of Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar heard at age four. Though he dreamed of the sitar, he picked up a violin instead and never looked back. At five, he gave his first performance—shyly, under a palm tree, around the corner from Puerto Rico’s governor’s house.
Program Notes
EMILIE MAYER
Born May 14, 1812, in Friedland, Germany
Died April 10, 1883, in Berlin, Germany
Overture No. 2 in D Major (circa 1850)
Last WWS Performance: First performance at tonight’s concert
Approximate length: 8 minutes
CHRISTIAN COLBERG
Born October 30, 1968, in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Viola Concerto (2018)
Last WWS Performance: First performance at tonight’s concert
Approximate length: 33 minutes
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Born February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Germany
Died November 4, 1847, in Leipzig, Germany
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, “Scottish” (1842)
Last WWS Performance: First performance at tonight’s concert
Approximate length: 38 minutes