Quad City Symphony Orchestra Masterworks V: “Echoes of Exploration,” March 1 and 2

Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.

Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA

Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m.

Augustana College's Centennial Hall, 3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL

Lauded by the Philadelphia Enquirer for his "electric presence" and by the American Record Guide for his "rich, deep, mellifluous tone, impeccable intonation," and "excellent sense of timing and tempo," viola master Roberto Díaz acts as featured guest in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's fifth Masterworks presentations of the ensemble's 2024-25 season, the gifted musician lending his talents to the March 1 and 2 performances of Echoes of Exploration.

A violist of tremendous international reputation, Díaz is president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music, and as a soloist, he collaborates with leading conductors of our time on stages throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. He has also worked directly with important 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki – whose viola concerto he has performed many times with the composer on the podium and whose double concerto he premiered in the United States – as well as Edison Denisov, Jennifer Higdon, Ricardo Lorenz, and Roberto Sierra. Díaz's recording of Jennifer Higdon's Viola Concerto won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2018.

Díaz received an honorary doctorate from Bowdoin College and was awarded an honorary membership by the National Board of the American Viola Society. In 2013, he became a member of the prestigious American Philosophical Society founded by Benjamin Franklin. As a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, he was selected by then-music director Christoph Eschenbach to receive the C. Hartman Kuhn Award, given annually to "the member of the Philadelphia Orchestra who has shown ability and enterprise of such character as to enhance the standards and the reputation of the Philadelphia Orchestra." Díaz received a bachelor's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Burton Fine; and a diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, where his teacher was his predecessor at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Joseph de Pasquale.

In Echoes of Exploration, classical-music lovers are invited to explore musical landscapes inspired by travel, journeying from the sun-drenched Italian Riviera to the ancient dynasties of China, and back to the whimsical Italian streets before taking in the vibrant culture of Spain. With the QCSO Music Director Mark Russell Smith conducting the two performances, the repertoire for Saturday and Sunday will include Maurice Ravel's Rapsodie espagnole, Bright Sheng's Of Time and Love: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Hugo Wolf's Italian Serenade, and Edward Elgar's In the South, op.50 (Alassio).

Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration performances will be held at Davenport's Adler Theatre on March 1 at 7:30 p.m. and, in Rock Island, Augustana College's Centennial Hall on March 2 at 2 p.m. One hour prior to each performance, concert-goers are invited to attend informational "Concert Conversations" to learn about the works on the program, and on Saturday, "Afterglow" attendees can mingle with Maestro Mark Russell Smith, guest artists, and members of the QCSO in the lobby of the Hotel Blackhawk immediately following the performance. Admission to the concerts is $8-70, and more information and tickets are available by contacting the Quad City Symphony Orchestra at (563)322-0931 and visiting QCSO.org.