In a Dark Mood
Music by Russian composers slated
The Butler County Symphony Orchestra will present an evening of music from Russian composers beginning at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Butler Intermediate High School auditorium.
The guest artist will be composer and saxophonist Arthur Black, a 2006 graduate of Knoch High School who said he was first inspired to pursue music as a career because of Slippery Rock University professor, Terry Steele, his saxophone teacher from 2001 to 2006.
Black holds a bachelor's in music education from Messiah College in Grantham, Cumberland County, where he studied saxophone with Aaron Patterson and Tim Warfield.
At Messiah, he won the Kuhlman Concerto Competition and was awarded the Presser Foundation Scholarship.
In May 2012, Black graduated with a master's in jazz studies from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., and was invited to perform at the Ravinia music festival as part of the Steans Institute.
While in Bloomington, he worked as an associate instructor with David Baker and other members of the jazz faculty, and he studied saxophone with Thomas Walsh. He also was selected by an all-faculty committee to receive the Performer's Certificate, the institution's highest honor for instrumental performers.
Black lives in Chicago, where he teaches saxophone and performs in a variety of ensembles.
The symphony's musical director and conductor, Matthew Kraemer, will present a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. the day of the show. The lecture will include an overview and snippets of the music to be performed that evening as well as insight into the meaning and symbolism of some of the music.
Tickets are $18 in advance or $22 at the door. Student tickets are $5. Tickets are available at the symphony office, 259 S. Main St., or by calling 724-283-1402.
The symphony is offering a promotion to buy a ticket at regular price and receive an additional ticket for free when mentioning code E2913.
The winner of the Young Artist Competition is Kylee O'Donnell, a sophomore at Duquesne University.She will perform Chaminade's “Concertino for Flute and Orchestra” with the symphony at its March 9 concert. The theme will be “Movie Night.”Symphony 101Kraemer is to present a “Symphony 101” class at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at Boscov's at Clearview Mall. The class is part of the “Courses on Campus” program.Admission is free, but seating is limited. To register, call 724-285-5779 and ask for the courtesy desk.
