Lunch With Books: Wheeling Symphony Panel

A special Thursday edition of Lunch with Books featuring Maestro André Raphel and composer Avner Dorman, recorded March 13th, 2014.

Avner has re-written a piece originally for two quartets, "Prayer for the Innocents," for double string orchestra.

 "Prayer for the Innocents."

"In the summer of 2004, a group of Chechen terrorists overran a school in Beslan, Russia, and held its pupils and teachers hostage for a number of days, culminating in the murder of at least 150 pupils. Thereafter, the Russian Archbishop eulogized them in a prayer he called "Prayer for the Innocents." The eulogy, and its circumstances, affected me deeply, and prompted me to dedicate the middle movement of my second string quartet to the memory of the children. When Keshet Eilon asked me to compose a work for its summer 2009 Mastercourse, I decided to base it partly on that movement, expanding it for two string quartets." -Avner Dorman

This work now expanded for double string orchestras, premiered on Friday March 14th, 2014 with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra at the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling, WV.

Avner Dorman has quickly risen to become one of the leading composers of his generation. Dorman's unique approach to rhythm and timbre has attracted some of the world's most notable conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach, Riccardo Chailly, and David Robertson to bring his music to international audiences at:

• the New York Philharmonic
•  the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl
• the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
• the San Francisco Symphony
• the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
• the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein
• the Salzburg Festival
• the Lucerne Festival

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