The Minería Symphony Orchestra’s 2026 Summer Season reaches its seventh program with a concert devoted entirely to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Three works offer a glimpse into very different moments in his career: Symphony No. 33 takes us back to Salzburg in 1779 and his possible connection to a traveling theater troupe; Piano Concerto No. 22 showcases the mature Mozart, performing his own music and demonstrating a vibrant and colorful orchestral style; and Symphony No. 40 opens up a darker side of his catalog.
Program 7 will be performed on Saturday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, August 16, at 12:00 p.m. in the Silvestre Revueltas Hall at the Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center. Carlos Miguel Prieto, artistic director, will conduct the orchestra, with Anne-Marie McDermott as the guest soloist in Concerto No. 22.
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of every moment of the program.
Symphony No. 33 in B-flat Major, K. 319: Mozart and the Traveling Theater
Mozart composed the Symphony No. 33 in 1779, upon his return to Salzburg after a visit to Munich and his reluctant return to the service of Prince-Archbishop Jerónimo Colloredo.
That same year, he completed major projects such as the Coronation Mass and the Concertante Symphony for Violin and Viola, and he came into contact with Johann Heinrich Böhm, an actor, singer, and impresario of a traveling troupe that toured cities in Germany and Austria.
Böhm's company had staged and promoted several of Mozart's operas, including *La falsa giardiniera*, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro. Musicologist Neal Zaslaw has suggested that Mozart may have composed Symphony No. 33 for a performance or event by this troupe.
The symphony has four movements: Allegro assai, Andante moderato, Menuetto and Finale. Mozart originally conceived it in three movements, following the structural pattern of the sonata form, which was somewhat unusual for a symphony of that era; the Menuetto was added around 1784.
The orchestration does not require a large orchestra (two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings), which contrasts with the symphonies that flank it in the catalog, which include trumpets and timpani.
Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K. 482: Color, Dialogue, and Surprise
Mozart composed the Piano Concerto No. 22 toward the end of 1785, one of the busiest years of his life: he maintained close ties with the Freemasons, met with Joseph Haydn, published the six quartets Haydn had dedicated to him, and began work on The Marriage of Figaro. The concerto was written to be included in his own repertoire as a pianist.
K. 482 was Mozart’s first piano concerto to feature clarinets in its original version. Musicologist William Kinderman identifies it as the concerto that displays “Mozart’s greatest indulgence in timbral coloration,” with the clarinets taking center stage from the very beginning.
The piece has three movements.
It begins with a lengthy, martial-spirited introduction; when its turn comes, the piano enters alone, without accompaniment, and the orchestra joins in afterward to begin a development based on exchanges and responses.
The Andante takes the music into an introspective space, structured as variations on a theme; at its heart, Mozart devotes an extended episode to solo woodwinds. According to contemporary accounts, this movement made such an impression at the premiere that the audience demanded an encore.
The Rondó begins with the piano introducing the main refrain, which will return five times; amid the festive atmosphere, a slow and expressive section appears—almost a little minuet—and later, the piano plays off-beat against the pizzicati of the strings. Note: Mozart has an unexpected change of mood in store for us in the final moments.
Anne-Marie McDermott: the guest soloist
Anne-Marie McDermott studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Dalmo Carra, Constance Keene, and John Browning. She is a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, and in 2024 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the same institution. She has performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic and the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Atlanta, San Diego, Houston, and Buffalo, as well as on stages throughout Europe and Asia.
His discography includes Prokofiev’s piano sonatas, two volumes of Haydn’s sonatas, and Gershwin’s complete works for piano and orchestra with the Dallas Symphony. He is currently recording Beethoven’s piano concertos with the Minería Symphony, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto.
She is also the artistic director of three chamber music festivals in the United States: the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, the Ocean Reef Chamber Music Festival, and the McKnight Center’s Chamber Music Festival.
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: Elegance Cast in a Passionate Light
The Symphony No. 40 holds a special place in Mozart’s catalog. Of his 41 symphonies, only two were written in a minor key: the No. 25 and No. 40, both in G minor. After completing Symphony No. 38 in December 1786, Mozart spent nearly two years without writing any symphonies, focusing primarily on opera. Then, in the summer of 1788, he composed his last three symphonies in just seven weeks, without any commissions or commitments.
Symphony No. 40 has four movements: Molto allegro, Andante, Menuetto and Allegro assai. Mozart uses a modest orchestral ensemble (one flute, the other woodwinds in double, two horns, and strings) and achieves a wide variety of rather dark timbres.
The work exists in two versions: one with clarinets and one without. Its first movement became one of Mozart’s most recognizable pieces; during the last quarter of the 20th century, it even reached new audiences thanks to the controversial arrangements by Argentine musician Waldo de los Ríos, who incorporated electric instruments and drums into parts of the work.
Robert Schumann said of this symphony: “the finest expression of Greek elegance.” Arturo Toscanini called the Menuetto “one of the most tragic and dark pieces ever written.” Richard Wagner wrote that the Andante “is exuberant, full of passion and boldness.”
Three Works by the Same Genius
On Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, the Minería Symphony Orchestra presents three ways to enter the world of Mozart. Symphony No. 33 reveals the composer’s affinity for the theater, capable of crafting clear music with restrained orchestral resources. Piano Concerto No. 22 reveals the composer-performer, attentive to the timbre of the clarinets and to unexpected shifts in character. And Symphony No. 40 leads toward a darker and more passionate expression.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, August 16, at 12:00 p.m. in the Silvestre Revueltas Hall at the Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center.
With Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting and Anne-Marie McDermott as guest soloist, Program 7 offers a journey through three moments in the life of a single creative voice. Mozart, Mozart, and Mozart.
