DAHLONEGA - Two upcoming concerts provide opportunities for fans of classical music to hear live performances of symphony standards and newly composed material.
The University of North Georgia (UNG) Orchestra, composed of students only, will present its spring concert on April 23 at 8 p.m. in the Hoag Auditorium on UNG's Dahlonega Campus.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, will premiere an original composition by a UNG student and also feature "Symphony No. 101" by Joseph Haydn and "Peer Gynt Suite" by Edvard Grieg.
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to premiere a new work composed by one of our orchestra members alongside two staples of the orchestral repertoire," said Dr. Joe Chapman, professor of music at UNG and conductor of the orchestra. "I am confident that our audience will thoroughly enjoy 'Galactic Symphony,' which was composed this spring by UNG student cellist, Caleb Swift."
The North Georgia Symphony Orchestra (NGSO), a professional orchestra sponsored by UNG that includes faculty members, will present an all-Beethoven program on May 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Cumming First Methodist Church. Tickets for the performance are $10.
The program features Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto for piano and "Symphony No. 5," conducted by Andy David, the orchestra's music director and head of UNG's music department.
"This year's North Georgia Symphony Orchestra concert is unique in that we will be featuring a member of the faculty, Dr. Joe Chapman, in a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, the 'Emperor.' The other work on the program is Beethoven's towering landmark, 'Symphony No. 5' in C minor," David said. "Many musicians and music lovers around the world consider the 5th to be the greatest symphony ever composed. I'm certainly looking forward to the challenge of conducting this epic work."
The NGSO performance is supported by a grant from the Forsyth County Art Alliance.
Other upcoming spring performances hosted by UNG's music department include:
- April 21: UNG's Jazz Band will perform beginning at 7 p.m. at the Ed Cabell Theatre on the Gainesville Campus.
- April 21: The Wind Ensemble will perform at the Festival of Arts at Cumming First United Methodist Church beginning at 7:30 p.m.
- April 23: The Symphonic Band will perform at the Ed Cabell Theatre on the Gainesville Campus beginning at 7:30 p.m.
- April 27: The Percussion Ensemble will perform on the Dahlonega Campus beginning at 8 p.m.
