Music is a powerful force. When the lights are dimmed and the orchestra has tuned, audiences perk up their ears and prepare to absorb the sounds of the Idaho Falls Symphony. They listen for details in the music or simply sit back and absorb the wonderful resonance of the ensemble. Onstage, the musicians and conductor communicate without speaking. We translate the musical language of each composer with faithful diligence, and the results are like a rich tapestry, each moment woven together to form a complex, beautiful image. When the music ends, cheers erupt and the room fills with a rush of emotions, and in those precious moments, we all sense that a strong bond has formed, a connection unlike any other. We have shared a live musical experience that will continue existing in our hearts and minds.
The performance of live music has been on hold at the Idaho Falls Symphony, but now we are eager to Reconnect in Season 72. The hiatus due to the global pandemic taught us many valuable lessons; we achieved a complete pivot to an online concert format that brought our regional orchestra into homes around the country. We learned the limits of technology as a means of making music as a group, but we also learned that technology offers incredible flexibility and the opportunity to diversify our concerts. Above all else, we learned that the connection forged in the moment of live performance has no duplicate. Those lessons are carrying us into Season 72 stronger and more motivated than ever before.
As we Reconnect with live audiences in the 2021-2022 season, our programs offer something for everyone to enjoy. Our mission to present the world’s great music gives us the freedom to explore audience favorites and unknown composers in equal measure. The great George Gershwin and his Rhapsody in Blue will be presented alongside two notable Black American composers, Florence Price and Duke Ellington. The iconic music of Beethoven will share a program with Louise Farrenc, a French woman composer from the 19th century whose works we have never performed before. And the two winners of our 2020 Young Artists Competition will tackle the music of Sergei Prokofiev, bookending our season with electrifying virtuosity and the distinct voice of this significant Russian master.
Families with children are encouraged to Reconnect with the Idaho Falls Symphony as well. Our season opens with a free outdoor concert in Freeman Park, and the winter and spring concerts of the Idaho Falls Symphony Youth Orchestra program are also free and open to the public. The annual Family Concert is a shorter matinee designed for all ages, and this year, we will all gather to enjoy Paddington Bear’s First Concert. Our musicians are going back into elementary schools as musical Ambassadors, and The Snowman movie returns as a heartfelt holiday concert. We invite you to visit www.ifsymphony.org for complete concert details and ticketing information.
To read more of the September issue click here.