Paris: La Belle Époque

Saturday, August 23 at 3 PM

First Presbyterian Church, Tyler

Literally translated as “the beautiful era,” Paris’ belle époque was a golden age of cultural and economic growth between the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars and World War I. At the end of the nineteenth century, against the backdrop of Baron Haussmann’s magnificent civic plan, Paris was alive with new ideas, luminous art and dazzling music.  

Celebrating this “golden age,” New Texas Sinfonia opens its fifth season with musical riches of the Parisian salon and stage from the turn of the nineteenth century. In Maurice Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, harpist Margaret Davis showcases the expressive possibilities of the double-action pedal harp, newly developed in the early twentieth century. This nod to the great “City of Light” finishes with the virtuosic flair of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso performed by highly acclaimed violinist Mann-Wen Lo.

New Texas Sinfonia

Mann-Wen Lo, violin

Margaret Davis, harp

Weston Jennings, conductor

This program runs approximately 95 minutes including one 20-minute intermission. 

$20 adults / students and children free admission

$15 early bird tickets available until August 1!

Join us in the Sanctuary for a Pre-Concert Conversation with Music Director Weston Jennings 30 minutes prior to concert start time.