A new era is dawning for the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera. With the formal introduction of Kayoko Dan as the new music director last spring, the CSO stated its dedication to the marriage of tradition and progress.
Dan, the symphony’s youngest director and the first female, will take the podium Saturday night for her first official Masterworks concert, opening the season with a trifecta of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italien,” Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Cappricio Espagnol.”
While the first two pieces were selected before Dan came aboard, she chose the Rimsky-Korsakov to complement the former workers and to welcome the audience to the new season.
Inspired by Spanish folk music, the five-movement “Cappricio Espagnol” boasts multiple solos, featuring different musicians in the orchestra.
“I wanted to make a point that I’m here to highlight these talents and really showcase our musicians,” Dan said.