Orchestra to present Russian masters
The Skidmore College Orchestra will present a program of music by Russian masters when during its first concert of the academic year at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, in the college’s Arthur Zankel Music Center.
The program highlight will be Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which has helped introduce generations of children to the instruments of the orchestra and the concept of telling a story through music, fulfilling the goal Prokofiev set for himself in 1936. Featured Skidmore student performers include Hannah Emmery’14 (clarinet) as “the cat,” Katie Murphy’14 (flute) as the “heroically brave bird,” Jared Herman ’15 (bassoon) as “the grandfather” and student horn players Liz Estey ’14, Brendan Sullivan ’14, and Natalie Linton ‘14 representing the “dangerous wolf.” Timpanist David Slitzky ‘14 will dramatically announce the sounds of the forest hunters. Guest narrator will be Lary Opitz, professor and chair of Skidmore Theater Department and artistic director of Saratoga Shakespeare Company.
Other selections to be performed include Stravinsky’s Circus Polka for a Young Elephant, originally composed for the Ringling Brothers circus in 1942 as a ballet for elephants, and Shostakovich’s dramatic Symphony No. 5 (Movements I and II). Symphony No. 5 features dramatic changes of mood and a pattern of assertive statements with apprehensive retractions. The second movement has been described as homage to waltzes and draws from whimsical themes and raucous material.
The Skidmore College Orchestra is a semi-professional orchestra whose members include of students and top players from several regional professional orchestras, including the Albany Symphony, Berkshire Symphony, Schenectady Symphony and Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra. Skidmore's unique orchestral program emphasizes students in the most important orchestral positions and features students in the most important solos. The combination of professional and student players creates an exciting synergy and a concert atmosphere for players and audience members alike. Anthony G. Holland, associate professor of music, directs the orchestra.
Admission for the Oct. 26, concert is free for Skidmore students, $8 adults, and $5 seniors. For advance reservations, please click here. The Zankel Music Center is wheelchair accessible and offers listening devices for the hearing impaired. For more information, please click here.
