The Emporia Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert is Friday in Webb Lecture Hall in the Memorial Union on the campus of Emporia State University.
This civic organization includes musicians from many area communities as well as students of Emporia State. After a nine-year hiatus, the group was reformed in 2009 under the baton of ESU faculty member Jeremy Starr.
The ESO has been in operation for two full years now. “It’s been really neat to have all the community members and the students coming together to make a great musical product,” Starr said. “This has always been our goal.”
Friday’s concert will be their third this season, and the new venue offers some exciting changes. The newly remodeled Memorial Union is best accessed from the east doors, where there is also ample parking. The elevators are located in the same south-side spot, and Webb lecture hall is on the second floor.
“It will be a memorable experience for everyone,” Starr said. “It just doesn’t get much better than the New World symphony, and the other pieces are great favorites.”
The program will open with an overture by Gioacchino Rossini from The Thieving Magpie which has been arranged by Gustav Kogel. Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (Danny Boy) will follow and then the exuberant Symphony No. 9 by Antonin Dvorak will fill the second half of the concert.
“[It is] one of the greatest works of our time and filled with the sounds of 19th century American and Czech inspired folk-like melodies,” Starr said.
Earlier this fall, the Symphony performed with flautist and distinguished ESU alumna Leone Buyse as part of the Gala Benefit Concert for the ESU music department. The Symphony then traveled on October 1 to Camp Wood YMCA in Elmdale and joined forces with Grammy award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen for the inaugural twilight concert for the newly-established Joyful Noise music and prairie family camp.
The ESO has also been invited to perform for the 2012 meeting of the Kansas Music Educators Association state convention in February.
“This is going to be one of the most demanding and adventurous concerts we’ve done,” Starr said. “It’s all great music and we’ve been working extra hard to get it right.
“We are really looking forward to having everyone come to the concert Friday.”
The concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Webb Lecture Hall. A reception follows in the Beach Hall Shepherd Rotunda and all concertgoers are invited to attend and meet the musicians.
Tickets are $5 general admission, $4 for students and senior citizens, free for children 12 and under. For more information, contact Jeremy Starr at 341-5226 or jstarr@emporia.edu.