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Mahler’s Titan Symphony
Illia Ovcharenko debuts with Symphony Nova Scotia performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto.
Plus, hear Mahler’s “Titan” arranged for Symphony Nova Scotia by conductor Shizuo Kuwahara
Featuring
Shizuo Kuwahara, conductor
Illia Ovcharenko, piano
Curtis Dietz, trumpet
On the program
Raven Chacon: Ashdla’ (I Musici commission)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1, “Titan” (arranged for Symphony Nova Scotia by Shizuo Kuwahara)
Praised as “technically flawless and impeccably musical” (International Piano), 23-year-old Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko has taken the piano world by storm with his technical genius, winning the prestigious Honens International Piano Competition in 2022. Now, he makes his Symphony Nova Scotia debut performing Shostakovich’s bright, virtuosic Piano Concerto – considered a crowning achievement of his orchestral works – spotlighting our very own Curtis Dietz. Plus, our orchestra performs Ashdla’ from Raven Chacon, a Diné (or Navajo) composer and the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music winner.
Conductor Shizuo Kuwahara has composed new arrangements of Mahler’s mighty, miraculous “Titan” Symphony tailored specifically for the full Symphony Nova Scotia orchestra.
“This new orchestration of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 was born from a place of possibility and excitement. Working within specific instrumental forces became not a restriction, but a creative spark – an opportunity to listen more closely, to imagine more vividly, and to rediscover the heart of this beloved work. From the very first page, my aim has been to honour Mahler’s intentions with great care, preserving every note and every expressive gesture, while paying special attention to colour, balance, and stylistic character. A more transparent palette allows inner voices to glow, details to speak with fresh clarity, and emotional contrasts to feel even more immediate. For audiences, this offers a new way of experiencing a familiar masterpiece – newly illuminated, intimate, and alive.”
– Shizuo Kuwahara, conductor
“I’m really looking forward to playing Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto with the wonderful Symphony Nova Scotia. It’s a wild, exciting piece with so much energy – and a bit of craziness too!”
~Illia Ovcharenko, piano
