PATRICIA C. SYAK | Symphony Notes Annual dinner event will feature recaps of numerous activities

Another side of music making takes center stage when members of the Youngstown Symphony Society meet at 6 p.m. June 22 at Symphony Center for their annual dinner meeting.
On tap will be reports by society president Gary Roberts, music director Isaiah Jackson, the society's executive director, and symphony affiliate organizations. During the business meeting, new members will be elected to the board of directors, and awards will be presented to the Women's Committee for Children's Concerts, Youngstown Symphony Guild and Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra for outstanding service to the Symphony Society.
The Youngstown Symphony String Quartet will provide a musical interlude. Community residents holding subscriptions to the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Masterworks, Pops or Flex Series package and Broadway Series and all who have contributed $50 or more to the Society Annual Growth Fund are invited to attend as voting members of the society. Call the symphony office at (330) 744-4269 by June 18 to make a reservation.
Those attending will learn about the cultural and entertainment options presented during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year including Symphony Society events and theater rentals. For instance, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jackson, presented 14 concerts: six Masterworks and four Pops subscription concerts and four Young People's Concerts. In addition, the orchestra performed "Pops at the Ballpark" at Eastwood Field, formerly Cafaro Field, and "Christmas in the City," a concert to benefit Youngstown Catholic schools. Conductor Carl Topilow led both concerts.
Recapping
The society's Broadway Series featured the national touring productions of "Kiss Me Kate," "The Sound of Music" and "Cats." Two special events, "Stomp" and "Mandy Patinkin in Concert" added to the season offerings. In addition to Symphony Society-sponsored events, 129 performances by national promoters and regional art organizations took place at Edward W. Powers Auditorium. The popularity of these combined events drew over 145,000 residents to the center during the same 11-month period.
The society's educational programs such as school release Young People's Concerts, community-site Storytyme performances and concerts by the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and Symphonettes will be recapped.
Also on the agenda will be a summary of the weekly musical therapy sessions at Tod Children's Hospital Behavioral Center and monthly bedside visitations to children hospitalized on medical/oncology and surgical wards at the hospital.
XPatricia C. Syak is executive director of Youngstown Symphony Society.