The 2008-2009 Flagstaff Symphony season kicks off with a concerto from internationally known Steven Moeckel, the concertmaster for the Tucson and Phoenix Symphony orchestras. Violinist Moeckel will treat classical music fans and concertgoers with a special performance of legendary Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ “Concerto in the key of D minor” at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the Ardrey Auditorium.

“When you listen to Sibelius (piece) in D minor, you hear the country of Finland and you see the miles of wintery landscape,” Moeckel said. “The movements take you back in time and to where Sibelius was from.”

Two days before the big show, Moeckel hosted a master class workshop in Ardrey, made up of top NAU musicians and students from Flagstaff area high schools. Moeckel gave his feedback and worked individually with the students to improve their technique.

“Moeckel’s playing style is known worldwide as being dynamic and expressive,” said Louise Scott, a violin professor at NAU. “He plays with a fast bow and has a very demanding presence.”

Scott said Moeckel’s playing style seems to express a wide variety of moods from the violin, as opposed to a one-dimensional artist. His playing style complements the Sibelius piece “Concerto in the key of D minor.”

Moeckel‘s recent trips to Europe and Central America gained ecstatic reviews and multiple curtain calls. His performance at the 2005 Sibelius International Violin Competition was regarded by the Helsingin Sanomat news of Finland as one of the “best performances.”

“German-American Steven Moeckel played Sibelius’ ‘Humoresques’ easily, which made an emotional impact on the audience,” stated the The Helsingin Sanomat. “Here is a real ‘Sibelian.’”

Moeckel will be led by newly-appointed and well-known Flagstaff Symphony music director and conductor, Elizabeth Schulze. Shulze’s presence has been highly anticipated by the students of NAU, and this will be her first time working with Moeckel.

Bethany Cross, a junior music performance major, is as excited to see Schulze at work as she is to see Moeckel perform.

“I am really looking forward to working with Elizabeth Schulze,” Cross said. “She’s picked out a lot of new pieces for the season.”

The Sibelius piece consists of three movements that differentiate immensely from each other. Moeckel said the concerto requires him to create a calming, passionate sound that builds into a thematic performance that will excite and entertain the audience.

“It opens with a mournful melody and builds up, pulling out intensive harmonies — a beautiful, passionate love song — and then all the tension that was built up gets released at the end into a dance-like rhythmic bang,” Moeckel said.

Scott said Moeckel’s skills reflect and complement one of the most beautiful and difficult pieces for violin.

“The movements in the piece vary from dazzling virtuosic skill to the intricate lyrical pizzicato and snappy rhythmic playing on the violin,” Scott said.

Melissa Mahn, a junior violinist and music performance major, expressed her eagerness to watch Moeckel play.

“The Sibelius piece is so difficult to play, and it’s encouraging to watch,” Mahn said. “Studying Moeckel’s playing style is going to be exciting.”

The Sept. 18 performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Ardrey Auditorium. Hector Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture,” will lead to the centerpiece performance of “Concerto in D minor” by Steve Moeckel. The show will conclude with Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony #4 in F Minor.”

Student ticket prices range from $14 to $21.50,  and non-student prices range from $28 to $43. There will also be a “student rush hour” from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the University Union, where tickets will cost $8. A pre-concert discussion with the conductor and guest artist will be held before the show at 6:30 p.m.