FOX VALLEY SYMPHONY PRESENTS THE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS SPRING CONCERT
March 2, 2008 ~ 7:00 pm
Fox Valley Lutheran High School Auditorium
Tickets: Adults $10 Students $6
Available at: Fox Valley Symphony Office, Heid Music, and at the Door the evening of the concert
The Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestras are pleased to announce their Spring Concert on Sunday, March 2 in the beautiful Fox Valley Lutheran Auditorium located at 5300 N. Meade Street – Appleton.
The 69 members of the Philharmonia Strings, conducted by Greg Austin will perform Alpharetta by Carol Nunez. This piece was commissioned by the Chattahoochee High School String Orchestra located in Alpharetta, Georgia several miles north of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Named after the orchestra’s hometown, it musically portrays the people and the history that shaped their community. The next piece they perform will be The “Little” Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach. The fugue's four-and-a-half measure subject is one of Bach's most recognizable tunes and was written in four voices, which will be followed by O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen. Lauridsen is one of America's most loved and most performed living composers. This piece is rich in color, deeply spiritual, and intensely moving. The final piece to be performed will be Caravan written by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, and Juan Tizol, arranged by Lennie Niehaus. Caravan was usually the second number played when the Ellington band performed. Caravan is considered by some to be the first real Latin jazz tune, although it owes as much to "Middle Eastern" melodies.
The 96 members of the Youth Symphony, conducted by Gary Wolfman will perform the exotic and exciting Danse Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah by Saint Saens. They will then go on to perform Blue Cathedral by Jennifer Higdon. Ms. Higdon was commissioned to write an orchestral work for the 75th anniversary of the Curtis Institute. At the time she started work on the piece for the commission, her thoughts were particularly filled with memories of her younger brother, who had died exactly a year earlier. She pondered things related to the journey we make after death and imagined a traveler on a journey through a glass cathedral in the sky (therefore making it a blue color). The young musicians of the Youth Symphony have enjoyed exploring this contemporary piece. The Youth Symphony will conclude their portion of the concert with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 Movement 4, which has become one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous works. This movement was very popular during World War II, with many new recordings and many symphonic performances during those years. One of the most notable performances was by the Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra during the Siege of Leningrad. City leaders had ordered the orchestra to continue its performances to keep the spirits high in the city. On the night of October 20, 1941 they played Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 at the city's Philharmonic Hall and it was broadcast live to London. As the second movement began bombs started to fall nearby. The orchestra continued to play until the final note.
General seating tickets for the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestras Spring Concert are available at the Fox Valley Symphony Office by calling (920) 968-0300, Heid Music, and at the door the evening of the concert. Adult tickets are $10 and student tickets are $6.
The Fox Valley Symphony’s mission is to enrich and nurture the human spirit through symphonic music and educational opportunities that enhance the cultural development of our community. For more information, visit www.FoxValleySymphony.com or call 920-968-0300.
