PATRICIA C. SYAK | Symphony notes New seasons are nearly here

Both Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Society's Broadway Series kick off their respective seasons this month.
The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Isaiah Jackson welcomes guest violinist Elmar Oliviera on Oct. 23 to the Powers Auditorium stage. The performance, underwritten in part by the Youngstown Symphony Guild, begins at 8 p.m.
"Miss Saigon" opens the Broadway Series sponsored by the Society in conjunction with First Place Bank Community Foundation Oct. 18 and 19. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Masterworks concert and "Miss Saigon" are available by calling the Symphony Center box office at (330) 744-0264 or online at www.youngstownsymphony.com.
Orchestra
With his impeccable artistry, Oliveira has taken his place as one of the most commanding violinist of our time. One of the few committed to the entire spectrum of the violin world that of expanding traditional repertoire, championing contemporary music, devoting energy to the development of young artists and supporting the art of modern violin and bow makers, he will perform Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. So beguilingly beautiful, the concerto has been called the most perfect ever written.
Felix Mendelssohn was among the first of the great romantic composers and may also be considered the last of the classicists. He had the romanticist's tenderness, but he also had the classicist's respect for structural design and the traditional concepts of harmony and counterpoint.
Completing the evening's program will be Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. An absolute classic of the symphonic repertoire, it is a passage from the second movement of the Fifth that was appropriated by Tin Pan Alley to become the hit song "Moon Love."
Youngstown Symphony Guild will host a pre-concert dinner at the theater beginning at 5:45 p.m.
'Miss Saigon'
Set in 1975 during the final days leading up to the American evacuation of Saigon, "Miss Saigon" is the story of two young lovers torn apart by the fortunes of destiny and held together by a burning passion and the fate of a small child.
Kim, a Vietnamese woman from the countryside who is forced to become a bar girl in Saigon, and Chris, a Marine guard at the U.S. Embassy, are separated during the evacuation. Several years later, Chris returns to Saigon to seek Kim and his son. Superimposed on their love story is the Engineer: the pimp, the fixer and the sleazy epitome of greed who can survive under any circumstances.
The entire "Miss Saigon" set design was re-conceived for this new touring production. "Miss Saigon," seen by over 28 million people in 13 countries and in eight languages, comes to Youngstown for the first time.
Originally produced by Cameron Mackintosh, "Miss Saigon" opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in 1989 and opened at the Broadway in New York City in 1991 with Jonathan Pryce who created the role of the Eurasian Engineer in London.
XPatricia C. Syak is executive director of Youngstown Symphony Society.