Butler Symphony Orchestra performs for Butler Area School District’s fifth grade students
BUTLER TWP — Butler Area School District’s fifth grade class was treated to a performance by the Butler Symphony Orchestra as part of a wave of visits it will do to county schools.
The students from each of the district’s elementary schools gathered in Butler Intermediate High School’s auditorium Tuesday morning, Oct. 13, for the first stop in the 12th year of the orchestra’s Educational Outreach Concert Series.
For this year’s performance, the reduced orchestra spent about 40 minutes whisking the students into the stories of “One Thousand and One Nights.” The orchestra played swelling tunes written to fit the tone of the centuries-old, Middle Eastern folktales to build an immersive audio story.
Patty Stagno, president of the orchestra’s board of directors, said the series offers a unique experience to students across the county while giving the orchestra’s members more chances to play.
“The education pillar of our mission is to bring quality music to the community — especially the schools — and also to provide opportunities for our musicians to perform. This kind of makes everything mesh together,” she said.
She said former conductor Matthew Kraemer devised the series in 2014 as a way to connect with students who were just getting their first opportunities at in-school music education.
“When it started back then, the goal was to inspire the kids in the fall, when they’re just coming back to school and just exposing them to all the different instruments available to them. That helps the music teachers as well to stir up some interest in the music program,” Stagno said.
While the series usually features more demonstrative performances, she said conductor Moon Doh designed an abridged narration and excerpts of music to put together this year’s performance.
“This is more about letting the students experience what an actual symphony performance is like,” she said.
District superintendent Brian White, who was once a music teacher himself, said he is thrilled to be able to give students opportunities like this and to inspire them to follow their passions.
“To watch the excitement and joy on their faces is an amazing thing,” he said. “Part of this was coming together with friends and part of it was sitting and relaxing. In our world, we don’t get a lot of thinking time because of electronics.”
He expressed his deep gratitude for the orchestra for continuing to offer this concert series and his hope that the community will continue to support them for a long time coming.
The orchestra will also travel and perform at Penn Christian Academy, Knoch Intermediate Elementary, St. Luke’s Lutheran School, South Buffalo Elementary and Buffalo Elementary schools over the coming days.
Stagno said the orchestra plans to travel to seven other schools in May.
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Butler County Symphony Orchestra board president Patricia Stagno introduces the symphony at Butler Intermediate High School, Tuesday, Oct. 13. The symphony performed “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Butler County Symphony Orchestra performs “One Thousand and One Nights” from Scheherazade at Butler Intermediate High School as part of their Educational Outreach Concert Series, Tuesday, Oct. 13. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
