On Monday evening, we started this year's
APO season with our first rehearsal. For the first concert series, we have
Doug Dunston as a guest conductor, from Socorro, New Mexico. Already, he seems very good - I think we'll have a great concert. He communicates with the orchestra very well and has good ideas about what to do with the music.
On the program is the Candide Overture by Bernstein, the Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings by Mendelssohn, and the Symphony No. 2 by Brahms. I've played the Candide Overture before (who hasn't!) and it's always fun. I've not played the Brahms #2 before, although I've heard it many times, and played his first and fourth symphonies. This is a great piece and I'm looking forward to working on it and performing it. I've never even heard the Mendelssohn before... so I'm sure it will be a joy to discover.
The
concerts for this cycle will be on October 27th and 28th (my birthday). Please come and enjoy this music with us - the concerts are free and open to the public!