Warren Philharmonic Orchestra to present instrumental circus

THE VINDICATOR

WARREN — The Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, with Susan Davenny Wyner as conductor, will present a special family program Sunday, complete with an instrumental petting zoo, artwork by schoolchildren and a young soloist.

“An instrumental circus is coming into town!” said Wyner, “I am so excited by this concert because the music just sparkles with colors and stories to go with our circus theme.”

The program will begin with Villa Lobos’ “Little train of the Caipira,” which chugs along to South American rhythms and percussion instruments, and then head into the ballet music for Stravinsky’s Petrushka.

“Stravinsky transports us to a huge circus fair in St. Petersburg, Russia, where we meet the puppet Petrushka,” said Wyner. “An old magician brings Petrushka and his companions, the Ballerina and the Moor, to life. The music vividly depicts their story as we not only hear them dance their puppet dances but we get to know them as real feeling characters in their little cells behind the miniature theater.

“The music is filled with color — from the delicate dance of the silly little ballerina, to a dancing bear, to Petrushka’s frustration and despair, to the excitement of the crowds, to the portrayal of Petrushka’s death and taunting little ghost,” she continued. “In the end we are left feeling that perhaps he is the one playing a joke on us after all. Throughout the piece we can almost see our orchestra players changing costumes before our very eyes!”

During intermission, there will be an instrumental petting zoo, during which young audience members and their companions are invited to come up and meet the instruments of the orchestra, see how they look and work — and maybe get to know them.

After intermission the orchestra will perform Copland’s “Hoedown” and the Allegro from Bach’s E major Violin Concerto, which will be played by 15-year-old violinist Nate Gelfand, who is a sophomore at Boardman High School. The concert concludes with music from John Williams’ “The Empire Strikes Back.”

The concert also offers another special feature. This year the Warren Philharmonic created a first-ever schoolwide “music in art” contest. Hundreds of area school children drew pictures to the music for this concert. The hall will be festooned with their art, and after intermission the winners will be awarded their prizes.