LSM Faculty Collaborate in Upcoming Performance
Two esteemed faculty members of Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) are joining forces in an upcoming performance this March. Nicole Lee, piano faculty, will be collaborating with Dr. Kevin Sütterlin, LSM Festival Orchestra conductor, and the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, of which Sütterlin is the music director.
The concert, titled Midnight Visions, will feature Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, Anna Clyne’s This Midnight Hour, and the world premiere of Mark Buller’s First Light. Still, the highlight of the evening will be Lee's performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. Considered one of the most difficult works in the piano repertoire, even the pianist it is dedicated to never performed the work publicly.
Lee shares, “This piece is truly a challenge of physical, emotional, and mental endurance while simultaneously displaying the gorgeous, lush, and romantic melodies for which Rachmaninoff is beloved. It has always been a piece that I have dreamed of playing with an orchestra, and I know FVSO will sound incredible.
Sütterlin first approached Lee about this collaboration two summers ago after her first year with LSM. He shares, “I am greatly looking forward to performing Rachmaninoff 3 with Nicole Lee. She is an exquisite artist and clearly possesses the necessary strength and sensitivity this work demands. I’m thrilled that our connection at LSM has blossomed into our collaboration with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra.”
The LSM connections go beyond Sütterlin and Lee with the FVSO. Lee adds, “I am also excited that LSM horn faculty, Bruce Atwell, will be on stage with us! The LSM connection strikes again!” Atwell serves as principal horn of the symphony.
The upcoming concert is a testament to the musical excellence and collaborative spirit fostered at Lutheran Summer Music. Founded in 1981, LSM is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school students. The program offers a unique opportunity for young musicians to learn from and collaborate with a team of world-renowned faculty artists.
The concert is scheduled at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. It promises to be an evening of inspiring collaboration and exceptional music.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra website.
Lee teaching class piano at LSM 2023
Dr. Sütterlin with LSM 2023 Festival Orchestra
