CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Continuing yet another stellar season of bringing live classical music to Southern Utah, the Southwest Symphony will delight audience members of all ages with a lively rendition of the “The Carnival of the Animals.” The concert is slated for Friday, March 31, at the Cox Performing Arts Center in St. George.
The Southwest Symphony will be accompanied onstage by children from the Southwest Dance Company as they bring this amusing, family-friendly zoological fantasy to life.
“There will be a lot going on,” music director Lucas Darger said. “It’s a lot to look at, with plenty of beautiful music.”
Written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886, “The Carnival of the Animals” is a humorous musical suite comprised of 14 movements. Fearing that its frivolity would damage his reputation as a highly respected composer, Saint-Saëns refused to publish the work during his lifetime. It was performed publicly for the first time in 1922, the year after his death, and has remained one of his most popular compositions.
Each animal in the cast of characters, from the regal lion to the boisterous elephant, is represented by a separate musical vignette. The penultimate movement, entitled “The Swan,” is often performed independently as a cello solo and a ballet piece.
Later in the evening, the talented young musicians of the Youth Symphony of Southern Utah will join the Southwest Symphony for a side-by-side performance of “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s 1942 ballet “Rodeo.”
Audiences will also enjoy Bruch’s “Romance in F major for Viola and Orchestra” featuring Ellie Welker, the winner of this year’s Southwest Symphony Concerto Competition for outstanding young musicians. Welker is a graduate student at the University of Southern California and a concert violist.
“It’s a huge achievement,” Darger said. “We’re excited to have her with us. She really sounds amazing.”
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Children ages 5 and older are welcome at Southwest Symphony concerts.
Ticket prices range between $15.50 and $36 depending on the section and may be purchased online or by calling the Utah Tech University ticket office at 435-652-7800. Discounted tickets are available for seniors and students, as well as when purchasing four or more tickets to the same performance.
The Southwest Symphony’s 42nd performance season is an exciting and diverse series of shows featuring everything from Handel’s reverent “Messiah” to Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony.
Their next and final concert of the season, scheduled for April 28, will showcase one of cinema’s most iconic franchises. Broadway stars Morgan James and Hugh Panaro will fly in from the Big Apple to join the symphony for an evening of James Bond.
Originally assembled as a handful of local musicians seeking a venue for sharing classical music with the community, the Southwest Symphony is now an auditioned group of about 80 professional and skilled amateur performers. Although the musicians receive a small stipend for their participation, it’s essentially a volunteer organization supported by a combination of ticket sales, grants, corporate sponsorships and private donations.
Darger said the people of Southern Utah always have been extremely generous in their patronage of the performing arts, and the musicians and staff of the Southwest Symphony work tirelessly to produce quality concerts every season. The symphony has won the Best of State award for community orchestra three years in a row, a recognition that speaks to the dedication and talent of every person involved.
“They’re very passionate about it, and they love what they’re doing,” he added. “It’s really a gem for our community to have an orchestra of this level in this small of a city.”
Visit the Southwest Symphony website to purchase tickets and learn how your support helps advance the performing arts in Southern Utah.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •
Event details
- What: Southwest Symphony presents “The Carnival of the Animals.”
- When: Friday, March 31, starting at 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Cox Performing Arts Center, 335 S. 700 East, St. George.
- Tickets: Premium $28.50-$36; area 1 $24-$30; area 2 $18-$22.50; area 3 $15.50-$19.50.
- Resources: Website.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.