Mozart on tap for next Music Monday

The Palisades Ensemble will perform Mozart’s “Gran Partita” for the second Music Monday performance of the year on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in King Chapel on Cornell College’s campus.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 in B-flat, K. 361, also known as the “Gran Partita,” is considered one of the pillars of all instrumental music and one of the finest compositions in history. It was composed for the most accomplished musicians of Mozart’s day and requires technical virtuosity, understanding of blend and balance and great nuance to bring this remarkable work to life. Due to the  difficulty, it is rarely heard in a live performance venue.

The musicians in the Palisades Ensemble are among the finest instrumental musicians in Eastern Iowa and come from the many wonderful regional orchestras that are part of the cultural life of Iowa.

The first performance of the Palisades Ensemble on the Cornell College campus was during the 1993 May Music Festival and during the last 20 years the members of the Palisades Ensemble have offered performances of Igor Stravinsky’s “Octet,” Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade Op. 44, Richard Strauss’ Serenade, Op. 7, Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” as well as many others.

General admission for the concert is $10 ($5 for students) at the door. No advance ticket sales, no reserved seating. Admission is free to Cornell students, faculty, staff, emeriti faculty, and retired staff, and to local community members with a Purple Pass.

NOTE: King Chapel will not be handicap accessible in 2011-12. Replacement cost for the chair lift is prohibitive as the college prepares to fully fund and install an elevator.