RiverStone hosts festival of Mozart
FOXBURG — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be revived on the keys of the Lincoln Hall piano this weekend.
Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts is beginning its Steinway Concert Piano Series with a Mozart festival on Friday and Saturday.
RiverStone Center executive director Drew Orient said the center has decided to showcase its "glorious Steinway" piano with a series of concerts of classical Mozart music.
Orient said he expects the center will feature different composers in upcoming years.
Also included in the festival is a school component. Orient said the participating musicians will meet will students in Allegheny-Clarion Valley schools today and Friday.
A-C Valley High School principal David McDeavitt said the students in band and chorus will get a chance to get hands on with classical music.
During the two days, Eric Siepkes on piano and Akiko Kobayashi on violin will conduct small group and assembly programs for all grades. The sessions will include multimedia presentations focused on Mozart's music and his life. The sessions will also involve the high school band and choral groups, Orient said.
"We hope we have touched all the students," Orient said.
In future years, he hopes the school district will invite the center back for performances of other composers so that the students receive regular exposure to classical music.Events open to the public for this festival weekend include a concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Lincoln Hall with Mozart and pizza. Excerpts from the movie "Amadeus" will be mixed with live Mozart piano and violin selections. Pizza and soda courtesy of Foxburg Pizza will be served at intermission.The Mozart Festival Grand Concert will be at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln Hall. Siepkes and Kobayashi will share the stage with Kathy Soroka, soprano, Arturo Martin, tenor, Suzanne Ortner-Roberts, clarinet and Tom Roberts, also on piano.Tickets for Friday's concert are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets for Saturday's concert are $20.Advance tickets for both concerts are available at the Foxburg Inn or by calling 724-659-3116. Tickets will also be available at the door both nights.For more information, visit www.alleghenyriverstone.org.
