WHEELING – The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will perform “Foley, Kim and a Mayer Masterpiece” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, as part of its WesBanco Capitol Concert Series.

The orchestra will be conducted by Maestro John Devlin and will feature the duo Xavier Foley on double bass and Eunice Kim on violin.

Xavier Foley, a talented double bass player, and Eunice Kim, a brilliant young violinist, maintain a musical friendship and have toured together across the United States. As special guests of the WSO, they will perform Giovanni Botini’s “Grand Duo Concertante” as well as Foley’s own composition “For Justice and Peace”, which was co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the New World Symphony and the Sphinx Foundation. The artwork was created to mark 400 years of slavery since the arrival of the slave ship “White Lion” in Jamestown, Virginia.

The orchestra will also perform Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Emilie Mayer’s Symphony No. 5. Mayer and Brahms both lived and composed in Germany during the 1800s, the golden age of romantic symphonic music in Western Europe. Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Schubert, Wagner, Liszt, Chopin, Berlioz, Verdi, Dvorak, Puccini among many others became famous during this time. Although Mayer’s name is not often listed alongside her male contemporaries, Devlin argues that she certainly belongs in the conversation about great orchestral symphonic work.

Devlin made an exploration of Mayer’s orchestral compositions.

“I have chosen to present Mayer’s Symphony No. 5 as the most significant,” he said. “It follows the format of a traditional four-movement symphony and is thoroughly imaginative, powerful and filled with storytelling. His work would go very well with Brahms’ “Tragic Overture” which was written only thirty years later.

Devlin also said he looked forward to welcoming Foley and Kim to Wheeling.

“At the WSO, we believe in showcasing great American talent and the music of American composers,” Devlin said. “With Xavier Foley, we are able to achieve both of these goals, as he is a double bass virtuoso and a gifted composer. His talent on bass is well matched by violinist Eunice Kim. I know our audience in Wheeling will be captivated by this pair.

Foley was the winner of the 2014 Sphinx Competition, the 2016 Young Concert Artist Auditions, and the winner of the 2014 National Astral Artist Auditions. In this capacity, he has performed as a soloist with the Sphinx and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. .

He made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall with the Sphinx Virtuosi, with whom he has also been a soloist on East and West Coast tours. Also a composer, Foley graduated in 2016 from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied composition and performance with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. Foley strives to become a global artist on the double bass as he continues to incorporate all styles of music, whether cultural, national or folk music.

Kim, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, made her solo debut at the age of 7 with the Korean Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. Called “simply superb” by The New York Times, Kim recently made her solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Louisville Symphony, and performed George Tsontakis’ “Unforgettable” with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Winner of the 2012 Astral National Auditions, Kim is the recipient of awards and honors from the California International Violin Competition, Pacific Music Society Competition, Korea Times String Competition, and Excellence Scholarship for the arts of youth. She has also represented the Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the Millennium Stage Series Conservatory Project at the Kennedy Center.

An enthusiastic advocate for community engagement, Kim has partnered with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s education department to present an outreach series and is a regular participant in Astral’s community engagement and education programs. She has taught at many international music festivals, most recently at Festival Teatro Del Lago in Chile and at the Valdres Music Academy in Norway.

The Capitol Concert Series is presented by Wesbanco, Inc. “Foley, Kim and a Mayer Masterpiece” is supported by David and Dixie Ellwood and Louis and Charlotte Khourey.

Tickets for “Foley, Kim and a Mayer Masterpiece” can be purchased online at wheelingsyphony.com, by phone at (304) 232-6191, by email at [email protected] or in person at the box office, located at 1025 Main Street, Suite 811, Wheeling.