Italian Christmas
With soloist Lavinia Meijer
Ciconia Consort conducted by Dick van Gasteren
Lavinia Meijer, harp
Concerts
Thursday 25 November 2021 – 12.30
Central Library, The Hague
Free entrance
Without Lavinia Meijer, shortened program
Friday, November 26, 2021 – 8:15 PM
Reeuwijk Classic, Reeuwijk
OUT OF STOCK
Sunday November 28, 2021 – 2:30 PM
Theater ‘t Voorhuys, Emmeloord
CARDS
concert with educational childcare (4-10 years) register via info@ciconiaconsort.nl
Saturday December 11, 2021 – 8:00 PM CANCELLED
Edesche Concert Hall, Ede
Saturday December 11, 2021 – 2:30 PM -> note: CHANGED CONCERT DATE
City Hall, Leiden
LATEST CARDS
Saturday December 18, 2021 – 2:30 PM –> note: CHANGED STARTING TIME
Great Church, Naarden
CARDS
concert with educational childcare (4-10 years) register via info@ciconiaconsort.nl
Sunday December 19, 2021 – 3:00 PM –> CANCELLED, lockdown from 19 December 05.00 h
Concert hall Amare, The Hague
extras: lunch Pavlov + €24 –> the visitors who have registered for dinner in Pavlov can use their voucher for the three-course lunch package – from 12:30 p.m.
EXTRA CARDS
concert with educational childcare (4-10 years) register via info@ciconiaconsort.nl
Program
Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) – Italian serenade
Ludovico Einaudi (b. 1955) – Divenire for harp and strings
Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) – Intermezzo from Cavaleria Rusticana
Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) – Serenade for strings
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) – Concerto Grosso op. 6 no. 8 (Christmas concert)
William Alwyn (1905-1985) – Lyra Angelica for harp and string orchestra
Nino Rota (1911-1979) – Concerto per archi
Together with star soloist Lavinia Meijer, Ciconia Consort presents a varied family Christmas concert in an Italian atmosphere. Italy is the country where Christmas was invented; December 25 was already a holiday in ancient Rome, the ‘Saturnalia’, to celebrate that the days were getting longer again. The history of the nativity scene dates back to 1223, when Francis of Assisi asked an artist to depict the birth of Christ. Jesuits and Dominicans then spread the nativity tradition to all corners of the country.
We know the harp as a symbol of the shepherd and later King David. In the most famous carol of all time ‘Silent Night’, we still sing about David’s Son, born in Bethlehem’s stable. Every reason to give way to Lavinia Meijer and the harp. What is special is that she will not only perform as a soloist in William Alwyn’s Lyra Angelica and Einaudi’s Divenire, but will also perform a few beautiful harp parts in the orchestra.
Well-known and beloved pieces such as the Intermezzo from the Cavaleria Rusticana, Corelli’s Christmas Concert and the lesser-known, surprising Serenade by Wolf-Ferrari, alternate with narrations by conductor Dick van Gasteren about age-old and contemporary Italian musical Christmas traditions. And, in the land of Don Camillo and Fellini, music by the film composer Nino Rota should not be missed.
Children’s program
Parents and grandparents, take your (grand)children to the concert!
The children’s program will be organized at the concerts in Emmeloord (28 Nov), Naarden (18 Dec) and The Hague (19 Dec). The children ‘s program is under the professional direction of harp teacher Kathelijne Schelfhout . The evening for the children is also entirely in the theme of Italian Christmas: they learn everything about the harp and the bagpipes, they learn a real Italian Christmas song and they get a special role at the end of the concert!
You can register for the children’s program by sending an email to info@ciconiaconsort.nl . Do not forget to state the age of the children. The entrance tickets for children up to and including 12 years old can be purchased via the websites of the concert locations.
Lavinia Meijer
Lavinia Meijer, born in South Korea, grew up in the Netherlands. At the age of 9 she started playing the harp. She studied at the conservatories of Utrecht and Amsterdam with Erika Waardenburg, where she graduated Cum Laude.
Lavinia Meijer received an impressive list of prizes. For example, she won first prizes at the Princess Christina Competition, Stichting Jong Muziek Talent, Dutch Harp Competition, Vriendenkrans Competition of Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the International Harp Competition, a second prize at the Reinl-Wettbewerb in Vienna, third prize at the Sixth International USA Harp Competition in the US, and in 2009 she was awarded the prestigious Dutch Music Prize.
She also received the Audience Award from the Edisons 2012 for her CD Fantasies and Impromptus , and in 2013 a Gold Record and Platinum award for the CD Metamorphosis/The Hours (Philip Glass).
Lavinia Meijer has an exclusive artist contract with Sony Classical and plays recitals and solo concerts all over the world, from Carnegie Hall New York to the Berliner Philharmonie, as well as rock venues, open air festivals and World Harp Congresses. Her passion for expanding the possibilities of the harp is remarkable. She is always looking for rare classical solo and orchestral repertoire and contemporary music. With the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet she played new transcriptions by Caplet, Debussy and Ravel, and world premieres by Garrett Byrnes and Carlos Micháns. But above all, Lavinia Meijer became known for her transcriptions and performances of the music of Philip Glass.
After a personal meeting with Philip Glass in 2011, she was given permission to arrange his 5-part Metamorphosis for harp (solo). She then also arranged other works by Philip Glass, including Opening Piece , parts from The Hours and the main theme from Koyaanisqatsi . She was recently invited to perform with Philip Glass at his Days & Nights Festival in Big Sur, USA. All over the world, Lavinia Meijer enchants audiences with her intense and groundbreaking renditions of the Philip Glass repertoire.