Jessica Zhou, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s principal harpist, is also soloist in the new John Williams piece, “Highwood’s Ghost,” with Yo-Yo Ma. Both Zhou and Ma will perform with Maestro Andris Nelsons and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra on Sunday afternoon for the annual Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert.
The program celebrates the completion of sculptures that John Williams commissioned for the Tanglewood grounds of three of the Festival's seminal figures, who are also personal heroes of the composer: Aaron Copland, Serge Koussevitzky, and Leonard Bernstein. The new piece by Williams, a work for cello, harp and orchestra, was specially written for this occasion.
Harpist Jessica Zhou joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2009, occupying the Nicholas and Thalia Zervis Chair. In 2001, Ms. Zhou became the first and only Chinese harpist ever to win top prizes in three of the most prestigious harp competitions in the world.