Symphony plans cosmic performances for 34th season

Glacier Symphony and Chorale begins its 34th season this weekend.

“Cosmic Vibrations” is the aptly named theme of the season that Music Director John Zoltek says is “out of this world” with its variety of concerts and soloists.

“We offer big city entertainment at small town prices,” says Zoltek.

GSC strives to make each concert affordable via a “get acquainted” package called first timers that provides any new subscriber to the GSC season a half price ticket. In addition, the youth education program provides free tickets for all students up through 12th grade for the fall and winter Masterworks series. The GSC is one of the few symphonies in the country to offer this service for students and families and student attendance at concerts has gone up six-fold over the past three years.

“Many families with students visit the concert hall and get exposed to classical music at its finest,” Zoltek said.

“The Planets and Prokofiev” starts off the Masterworks series concerts on Oct. 15 and 16. The concerts will celebrate the 100th anniversary of composer Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” Prokofiev’s work, “Piano Concerto No. 3” will be performed by Ilya Yakushev, a young Russian pianist who won the 2005 World Piano Competition. Yakushev received his first award at age 12 as a prizewinner of the Young Artists Concerto Competition in his native St. Petersburg. He later attended the Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music and subsequently came to New York City to attend Mannes College of Music. Both concerts will be held in the performance hall at Flathead High School; Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.

Glacier Chorale takes the stage in November with “Flights of Imagination,” a concert celebrating the imagination of humankind. Under the baton of choral conductor Micah Hunter, the 70-voice choir explores such themes as the allure of flight, the mystery of the sea, the nobility of virtue, the spiritual realm, the unknown and love. Concerts will be held Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitefish Performing Arts Center and Sunday, Nov. 13, 3 p.m. at Glacier High School Performance Hall in Kalispell.

Masterworks 3 “Cosmic Windows” on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. at Flathead High School performance hall highlights the symphony’s sonic depth in Respighi’s “Church Windows” a work he says was inspired by stained glass church windows. Featured guest soloist will be violinist Giora Schmidt performing Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D.” The ever-popular “William Tell Overture” by Rossini completes the repertoire. Giora Schmidt has appeared with many prominent symphony orchestras around the globe from Chicago, to Toronto, Vancouver to the Israel Philharmonic. He has studied and worked with numerous prominent violinists including Itzak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman and he served on the faculty of the Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program.

December brings two holiday concerts, Handel’s Messiah and Classic Holiday Pops. The Messiah concert has become a sacred holiday tradition for the entire valley, as the concert moves from Bigfork on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, to Whitefish on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitefish Performing Arts Center and finishes with a Sunday matinee concert in Kalispell, on Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. at Flathead High Performance Hall.

Classic Holiday Pops follows on Dec. 17 and 18. The fun program is designed to bring holiday cheer into the hearts of families at this wonderful time of year. Featured music will include “The Nutcracker Suite,” “Fledermaus Overture,” March of the Toys,” “Skaters’ Waltz,” and the “Radetsky March” among many others. Concerts will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. at Flathead High Performance Hall in Kalispell.

The orchestra takes a break in January, resuming its programming on Feb. 11 and 12 with Masterworks 5 “Star Wars, Dark Matter and Dvorak.” This concert features a new work composed for tuba by Benedict Kirby, a professor of music at the University of Montana. Kirby says the story behind the piece stems from his love for subjects of an astronomical nature. John Williams iconic “Star Wars Suite” and “The Noon Day Witch” by Dvorak complete this cosmic concert.

April brings a completely new addition to the schedule, the Symphony and Chorale Easter Festival. Music Director John Zoltek’s inspiration for this event comes from the library of great choral and orchestra music written to celebrate spring.

Easter Festival begins on Thursday, April 6 with a concert featuring the delightful Russian pianist, Ketevan Kartvelishvili in a solo concert that includes artist commentary. It continues on Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. with “Eternal Light” a full orchestra and choral concert with works by Brahms “Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Lauridsen “Lux Aeterna” and “Introit,” a new composition by John Zoltek.

The Festival concludes on Sunday, April 9 at 3 p.m. with “Chorale Fantasy Finale” again featuring Kartvelishvili in Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” along with Fauré’s “Pavane” and a flourishing finish with Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy in C minor.”

Easter Festival performances are at Flathead High School is Kalispell.

Season tickets are available for the seven concert weekends plus the new Easter Festival. The first-timers discount is available through the October concert.

Buy tickets online at www.gscmusic.org or call 407-7000 for a brochure.