ASO Performs Romantic Music on Valentine's Day
Romantic overtures and concertos along with performances by the student winners of the Alma College Concerto Competition will highlight a Valentine’s Day concert by the Alma Symphony Orchestra.
The orchestra will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, in the Remick Heritage Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students, and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.
Also planned for the concert is a display of artwork by students from Alma Middle School and St. Louis High School in the Heritage Center lobby along with an after-glow reception with refreshments following the performance. Concertgoers are invited to vote on their favorite pieces of student art prior to the concert and during the intermission, with ribbons awarded to the winning artists.
Alma Symphony Orchestra
The three winners of the biannual Alma College Concerto Competition are Allen Park senior Joe Moscheck on vibraphone, Alma sophomore Christian Gilbert on trombone, and Lexington senior Jesse Belkiewicz on marimba.
"We have many talented students who compete every other year," says Murray Gross, assistant professor and director of the Alma Symphony Orchestra. “The students will perform movements from concertos that highlight their musical abilities.”
The program opens with the overture from Felix Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night's Dream.” Mendelssohn composed the overture in 1826 as a 17-year-old boy.
"Portions of this piece are well recognized, but the audience will be able to hear the entire overture performed by an orchestra. It may be a new experience for many," says Gross.
Other works on the program include Suite from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet, “Roses from the South” by Johann Strauss Jr., and Symphony No 2 “Romantic” by 20th century American composer Howard Hanson.
"’Carmen’ is all about love and lust. It may not have a happy ending, but it still has a place in the Valentine’s performance," says Gross. "’Roses from the South’ by Strauss is one of my favorites. Strauss wrote hundreds of waltzes that were intended for dance.”
The concert concludes with “Romantic,” which may not have been written during the Romantic period but is filled with lush tunes and melodies, says Gross. Hanson composed the piece as an alternative to modernistic works, setting it apart from much of the popular Neoclassical works that dominated his time.
"There is a lot of variety in this concert,” says Gross. “It is an opportunity to not only enjoy romantic music appropriate for Valentine’s Day but also to see talented student musicians in the spotlight.”
The performance is part of the Alma Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary season. The series will conclude with the annual Masterworks Concert with the Alma College Choirs on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11.
Posted: Sat, February 6th, 2010 at 8:29AM
