Shadow & Light
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony
Enrique Diemecke music director and conductor
Elena Ariza cello
2025 William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition Winner
Program
Antonín Dvořák Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 140, B. 191
Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony, Op. 58
The restless yearning of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony and the rich voice of Dvořák’s cello concerto together explore the poignant beauty of longing, loss and redemption—where the darkness of sorrow is complemented by the sweetness of light.
Cellist and Julliard doctoral fellow Elena Ariza appears with the FSO as winner of the 2025 William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition, sponsored by the St. Cecilia Society. The competition, begun by long-time FSO conductor William C. Byrd, has been awarded to young musicians since 1970, and has been an invaluable contribution to the careers of the many winners who’ve gone on to achieve impressive musical success.
Inside the Music • 6:30pm
Title: Youthful Inspiration
Guest Speaker: Student musicians from Flint School of Performing Arts inspire and excite as they perform chamber music on the Whiting stage.
About the guest artist:
Cellist Elena Ariza is a dynamic artist known for creativity and community engagement. A featured cellist on Yo-Yo Ma’s Music Art Life project, she has performed with luminaries like Itzhak Perlman and Christopher O’Riley. She made her Carnegie Hall debut at 14 and has played worldwide, winning top prizes in competitions like the Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition.
A champion of contemporary music, Elena has premiered works by Anne Qian Wang, Hiroya Miura, and Libby Larsen. Passionate about activism, she has organized benefit concerts raising thousands of dollars for global causes. A Juilliard doctoral fellow, she studied at Columbia University and has performed as Principal Cellist of the Juilliard Orchestra. Based in NYC, she enjoys paper crafting and playing chamber music with her family.
What you need to know:
No one under 5 admitted (including babies in arms)
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes
(including intermission)
Sensory warning: Live, full orchestra with percussion and loud volume.
Tickets starting at $24.90 / $18.60 for Genesee County residents (total price includes fees)
