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ORCHESTRA LAUNCHES 57TH SEASON
 Wednesday's concert will include Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with young Swannee Herrmann as the soloist. (Submitted photo). By Jeff Petersen Staff Writer The Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra will begin its 57th season with a concert Wednesday at McKenzie Theatre. The oldest continuously operating orchestra in Oregon will spend the year helping Eastern Oregon University celebrate its 75th birthday with special performances throughout the year from university associates. Wednesday's concert will include Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with young Swannee Herrmann, an EOU graduate, as the soloist. "It's a tour de force," says Leandro Espinosa, music director of the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra, of the piece. "Just to survive it is an amazing feat. It's at the top of concert repertoires for violin. It's all about endurance and concentration." Wednesday's concert opens with Mozart's Overture to the "Magic Flute." It was Mozart's last big work before his death, and a tribute to his genius, Espinosa says. "The Magic Flute" distilled Mozart's deepest philosophies into a children's tale about the fight between good and evil. After intermission comes Dvorak's Symphony No. 8, which is English through and through, says Espinosa. "Immediately you feel the character of English, in the first and fourth movement especially," Espinosa says. Espinosa says he is happy the orchestra is now back in the black, but he is still concerned about the lack of scholarships for students in the 50-member group. "The orchestra has played an important role in the life of the institution," Espinosa says, "and this anniversary offers an opportunity to ‘recognize what this orchestra has done, and wants to continue to do'." The orchestra continues to play an integral part in the music education of EOU students, and for that reason this season highlights contributions by associates of the university in each concert, he says. More players are encouraged to try out, Espinosa says, noting that string players are especially in demand. Because of some loss of funds through corporate mergers, the orchestra is now looking for help from small businesses, and encourages community members to shop at home and support the small businesses still surviving, Espinosa says. He encourages individuals in the community to think about sponsoring student scholarships. The first concert is being dedicated to the memory of John Suydam, who wrote program notes for the orchestra and worked at the EOU Library. "He took very seriously our mission to educate the public on classical music and the orchestra's contributions to the community," Espinosa says. "Many much larger cities wish they had an orchestra like this. Being a small city doesn't mean La Grande has to be inferior. The support of the community has helped us survive and gives us our strength." |
