PARKERSBURG - The River Cities Symphony Orchestra will begin its 13th season of performances in Parkersburg and Marietta in December, headed by music director and Conductor Robert Turizziani.
The annual Messiah Sing-A-Long will be 3 p.m. Dec. 19 at First Presbyterian Church, 1341 Juliana St., in Parkersburg.
There is no admissionm but monetary donations and non-perishable foods are welcome for the local food pantries. Attendees are requested to bring their own music scores as only a limited number of copies will be available for purchase.
The Annual Winter Choral Concert will be 7 p.m. Feb. 27, 2011, at Saint Mary's Church in Marietta.
The Marietta College Concert Choir and the Marietta Oratorio Chorus, directed by Dr. Daniel Monek, Associate Professor of Music and chair of the Edward E. MacTaggart Music Department at Marietta College, will join the RCSO in the performance of Bach selections, including the cantata Wachet Auf, featuring solo violinist John Harrison.
The Spring Concert will be presented at 8 p.m. April 1, 2011, at Parkersburg South High School. This concert will be a collaboration of the RCSO and the Schrader Youth Ballet. The students of the SYB will perform with the RCSO to a composition written by Sergei Prokofiev during 1936 in the USSR.
Prokofiev was commissioned by the Central Children's Theatre in Moscow to write a new musical symphony for children. The intent was to cultivate "musical tastes in children from the first years of school." Intrigued by the invitation, Prokofiev completed "Peter and the Wolf" in just four days. The program will also include "Serenade for Strings" by Tchaikovsky and "Carnival of the Animals," featuring pianists Debbie Gross and Victoria Berneking.
The RCSO will also present two Adventures in Music Education Programs earlier in the day on April 1 for elementary and middle school students. These performances will be for students from the feeder schools of PSHS and will be held at the high school on Blizzard Drive in south Parkersburg.
New and old reinforce each other at the best of concerts. That's the promise for the conclusion of the RCSO's 2010-2011 season with the Pops Around the World concert that will consist of light classical and contemporary selections. The concert will be 8 p.m. May 20, 2011, at the Lafayette Hotel in downtown Marietta.
Due to limited seating, reservations are suggested for this concert and tickets will be sold at the door only if seating is available.
Information, reservations and season tickets are available by e-mail at HYPERLINK "mailto:info@rcso.us" info@rcso.us or by calling 304-485-7068. Individual tickets for each concert may be purchased one hour before each concert. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students from kindergarten to college.
If special accommodations are required by individuals with disabilities, please call at least two weeks in advance for arrangements.
Funding for these concerts is made available in part by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts - Division of Culture and History, the Artsbridge Arts Fund, the Parkersburg Community Foundation and the Colony Theatre.
