Symphony Orchestra Presents Spring Concert

On Saturday, March 9, at 8 p.m.

The Andrews University Symphony Orchestra plays at the Howard Performing Arts Center. (Photo by Lydia Ruckle)

The Andrews University Symphony Orchestra will perform on Saturday, March 9, at 8 p.m. in the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University. Student conductors Earlon Cornwall, Jesús Parra, Nehemias Calsin and Jahaziel Gutierrez will lead the orchestra. Marc Élysée will introduce each piece of the program with historical context and additional musical details.

The concert will begin with Gioachino Rossini’s “Barber of Seville Overture,” written for his comic opera “The Barber of Seville.” The overture is one of Rossini’s most popular works, although it does not bear any resemblance to the themes of the opera it was written for.

The next selection will be Johann Strauss’ “Kaiser-Walzer,” or “Emperor Waltz.” This piece was composed in 1889 for a meeting between the emperors of Austria and Germany as a show of friendship between the two nations.

After a short intermission, the concert will conclude with Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony no. 8.” All four movements will be performed. Dvořák wrote this symphony while spending time at his summer home in Bohemia, and he took inspiration from the local Bohemian folk music. He intended for Symphony no. 8 to be a lighter, cheery counterpart to his seventh symphony, which is darker and more romantic.

Tickets can be purchased at howard.andrews.edu. Prices are $7 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors (limit two tickets per student ID). For more information, contact the Howard Box Office at 269-471-3560.