The Londontowne Symphony Orchestra and the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra are combining forces for a spectacular presentation of The Planets by Gustav Holstz in Key Auditorium on the St. Johns College campus at 7:30 PM on Saturday, May 18. The Planets is always exciting to hear with its driving beats and familiar melodies, but with both orchestras on stage together, with adults and students sitting side-by-side, this concert will be a thriller.
To add to the excitement, the LSO will be playing a rhythmic treat, Percussion Concerto, written by Matsuhito Ogino expressly for this soloist, John Astaire. Mr. Astaire is coming from California to play with the LSO, and has this to say about this concerto. “The energy and drive of the piece is undeniable, and the musicality is felt in every stage as the piece evolves. I feel privileged that it is dedicated to me.”
John Astaire is a professional percussionist based in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is the principal timpanist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra, and is active with many central coast ensembles including Opera San Luis Obispo, Orchestra Novo, the Santa Maria Symphony, the Lompoc Pops Orchestra, Symphony of the Vines, and the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale.
Julien Benichou is the Music Director of the CYSO and of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. He is also the Music Director and Co-Founder of the Mobtown Moderne New Music Ensemble. The CYSO was founded to bring the young musicians of the Annapolis-Baltimore-Washington region together to enjoy and refine their musical skills with the study of ensemble repertoire. Today it is a thriving organization with 9 bands and orchestras of various sizes and styles to suit many needs, accepting students from a wide range of levels.
Anna Binneweg is the Music Director/Conductor of the Anne Arundel Community College Symphony Orchestra where she also serves as Associate Professor of Music in addition to being the Music Director/Conductor of the LSO. She holds a Doctor of Music degree in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University. She made her conducting debut at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra in the 2005 National Conducting Institute and has served as one of their cover conductors. She made her European conducting debut in Lviv, Ukraine, in 2012.
The LSO is central Maryland’s community orchestra made up of local professionals, teachers, military musicians, exceptional amateurs and students. They play for the love of making high-quality music for themselves and for their listeners, and they have the development of young musicians as part of their mission.
Tickets are available at www.lso-music.org, at (410) 562-8920 or at the door. General admission tickets are $20, seniors are $15 and students are FREE.
