One of classical music’s most exciting rising artists is coming to Elkhart County!
Acclaimed cellist Khari R. Joyner joins Conn-Selmer Endowed Musical Director Dr. Soo Han and the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra for Duel Vi2lity, Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m. at The Lerner Theatre.
The second concert of Season 79—Stories in Sound: Prelude to 80—brings together three distinctive orchestral voices: Gala Flagello’s contemporary Vitality for Orchestra, Camille Saint-Saëns’ rarely heard Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 119, featuring Joyner as guest soloist, and Johannes Brahms’ beloved Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73.
Described by the New York Classical Review as “one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene” and by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as “one of the most promising young cellists in the country,” Joyner has established a rapidly growing national and international career.
A graduate of The Juilliard School, where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts, Joyner made his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut at just 17 under renowned conductor Robert Spano. He has won first place in both the Juilliard Concerto Competition and Sphinx Competition Junior Division, performed with leading orchestras and ensembles in the United States and abroad, and performed privately for President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.
“Khari is an extraordinary musician, and what excites me just as much is the thoughtfulness and curiosity he brings to his work,” said Han. “I’ve had the privilege to know Khari personally, and, in fact, he was the one who first introduced me to this remarkable Saint-Saëns cello concerto. He has performed at an incredibly high level around the world, and bringing an artist of his caliber to Elkhart County—to work with our musicians and share a piece that has a special connection for both of us—is exactly what our guest artist program is all about. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our orchestra, our audience, and our community.”
A Meeting of Musical Minds
The centerpiece of Joyner’s Elkhart appearance has a personal connection between soloist and conductor: Joyner introduced Han to Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 2, a work that has never achieved the widespread familiarity of the composer’s celebrated First Cello Concerto.
Composed in 1902, the Second Concerto is a formidable showcase for the cello, demanding tremendous technical command while moving between muscular virtuosity and expressive lyricism.
“It’s a remarkable piece—technically demanding, expressive, and full of surprises—and yet audiences simply don’t get many opportunities to hear it performed live,” Han said. “When a
Guest soloist, Khari R. Joyner, Cello
musician like Khari says, ‘You need to know this piece,’ you open your ears, your mind, and your heart—and you listen. We are all excited to have the opportunity to discover it together, with Khari as our soloist, and to share this masterful composition and Khari’s brilliance with our audience.”
Three Distinct Voices, One pOwerful Program
Duel Vi2lity spans nearly 150 years of orchestral music, pairing Saint-Saëns and Brahms with the work of Gala Flagello, an award-winning contemporary American composer whose music is being performed by orchestras and ensembles across the country.
The concert opens with Flagello’s Vitality for Orchestra, composed in 2022. Vibrant and rhythmically charged, Vitality brings the voice of a living composer to The Lerner Theatre stage and offers audiences a glimpse of where orchestral music is today—energetic, evolving, and very much alive.
From that distinctly 21st-century voice, the program moves to Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 2, featuring Joyner, before concluding with Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. Composed in 1877, Brahms’ Second is among his most beloved symphonies, celebrated for its warmth, sweeping melodies, and pastoral character before building toward an exuberant conclusion.
Together, the three works create a musical journey across generations—from Brahms in the 19th century and Saint-Saëns at the dawn of the 20th to Flagello’s contemporary orchestral voice today.
“Part of the joy of a program like this is hearing these very different musical voices in conversation with one another,” said Elkhart County Symphony Executive Director Glenn Northern. “We move from the energy of a living American composer to this extraordinary Saint-Saëns concerto with Khari, and then to the breadth and beauty of Brahms. It’s a program that allows our orchestra—and our audience—to experience just how much possibility exists within orchestral music.”
Last Chance for Season Tickets
Duel Vi2lity begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at The Lerner Theatre, 410 S. Main St., Elkhart.
The concert also marks the final opportunity to purchase Season Tickets for the remaining four concerts of Season 79. Season Tickets will be available only through the start of Duel Vi2lity on Nov. 15. After that, only Single Concert Tickets will be available for the remainder of the season.
The four-concert Season Ticket includes Duel Vi2lity; Verdi Requiem, Feb. 14, 2027, at Sauder Concert Hall at the Goshen College Music Center; Cinematic Symphony, March 14, 2027, at The Lerner Theatre; and the season-ending Planetary Finale, May 16, 2027, at The Lerner Theatre.
Season Tickets are available through The Lerner Theatre Box Office, 410 S. Main St., Elkhart, or by calling (574) 293-4469. Single Concert Tickets for Duel Vi2lity are also available now through The Lerner Theatre website.
Join us Nov. 15 as Khari Joyner and the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra bring Duel Vi2lity to The Lerner Theatre—and experience the virtuosity, vitality, power, and extraordinary range of orchestral music!
ABOUT THE ELKHART COUNTY SYMPHONY
The Elkhart County Symphony Association employs more than 100 professional musicians in the county. The organization promotes cultural experiences and instills civic pride in our community by encouraging artistic integrity, providing innovative opportunities, and presenting excellent musical programming through concerts, education, and special events.