Pacific Symphony brings “Organ Superstar” Hector Olivera to the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to perform on the iconic William J. Gillespie pipe organ on Sunday, May 5 at 7 p.m. Olivera will perform a selection of classical organ favorites such as Franck’s Choral No 1 in E Major and Bach’s “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” along with paraphrases and improvisations on songs by popular artists such as Billy Joel, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Freddie Mercury, including the audience favorite “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Image magnification on Segerstrom Concert Hall’s big screens will give you the best look at Olivera’s noted technique, energy, and style during this performance. This concert is part of 2018-19 Pipes and Pedals series, sponsored by Valerie and Barry Hon. Tickets for the show start at $10 and are available by calling the Box Office at (714) 755-5799 or visiting Pacific Symphony’s website, https://www.pacificsymphony.org.
PROGRAM
MEYERBEER: Coronation March from “Le Prophète”
J.S. BACH: “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” (BWV 659)
MICHEELSEN: Toccata on “Es sungen drei Engel”
BOSSI: Scherzo in G Minor, Op. 49, No. 2
FRANCK: Choral No. 1 in E Major
~ Intermission ~
Paraphrases and Improvisations:
Tribute to Barry Manilow, “Could It Be Magic”
Tribute to Billy Joel, “Root Beer Rag”
Tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Jesus Christ Superstar”
Tribute to Freddie Mercury, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Organist Hector Olivera is a passionate, gifted, and unique musician, whose personal interpretations of both classical and popular music have amazed and delighted audiences around the world. The Times-Reporter describes an evening with Olivera as: “An event, a happening, a joyful celebration of the sheer power and pressure that a true virtuoso like Olivera can unleash in a concert hall.” In 1988, after years of performing in the United States, Olivera was invited to play once again in his native Argentina. Upon arriving, he was welcomed as a national hero with “Standing Room Only” concerts attended by celebrities and heads of state, as well as being featured on national radio and television shows. Most famous for his prodigious technical proficiency and charismatic stage presence, Olivera’s amazing effect on audiences has made many of the most sophisticated and demanding organ aficionados claim that Olivera is “one of the greatest organists in the world today.”
