The Morgantown Community Orchestra’s “A Jubilant Spring Concert” promises to leave you with a light heart and an elevated spirit beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, in Canady Creative Arts Center Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre.
The largest it has been in over a decade, the orchestra now has more than 50 musicians.
Under the baton of Alyssa Schwartz and Shaun Hancher, the ensemble will perform a joyful program of mostly incidental music and symphonic poems spanning from the 19th to the 21st century, including Edward Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite,” Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” and John Williams “The Complete Harry Potter” film score.
The orchestra will also perform Antonin Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 8,” Brian Balmages’ “Joy in All Things,” Holst’s “Jupiter” and Ludovico Einaudi’s “Experience,” written for a string orchestra and piano.
This concert will feature, for the first time, the string players of the MCO’s Youth Orchestra Program and high-school pianist Anna Brusoe as a soloist.
“Following the inaugural MCO Open Rehearsal Day last November, during which event community members and families attend and watch the orchestra in action, the vision emerged for a youth orchestra program, where young and beginner string players will have a platform to nourish their love for playing a string instrument in the early stages of their music education,” said Eftihia Arkoudis, director and artist flute and piano instructor of the WVU Community Music Program. I am very excited to see several students joining the MCO for this concert in April through this initiative.”
Attendees are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes early to choose their seats and enjoy the pre-concert music played by MCO chamber groups. Like all CMP-hosted events, this MCO concert is free and open to the public.
"We are thrilled with how the MCO has been growing over the past few semesters and are excited to pioneer our new initiative with the Youth Strings Program,” Schwartz said. “This program will offer a variety of exciting, emotional and beautiful repertoire that will take the audience on a musical adventure.”
The concert will be livestreamed on the WVU Community Music Program YouTube channel.
Designed for intermediate and advanced players in the community and greater region who wish to share and develop their artistic talents, the MCO is the largest music ensemble of the WVU Community Music Program. The orchestra welcomes instrumentalists of a wide range of musical experience and provides a meaningful opportunity for artistic growth, community engagement and high-quality performance opportunities.
If our mission aligns with yours, consider making a gift to support the creation of scholarships, purchase of scores, and community and educational outreach.
Registration for summer 2023 will open on May 8.
For questions, contact Arkoudis at evarkoudis@mail.wvu.edu.