Idaho State-Civic Symphony to perform season finale concert this Saturday
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POCATELLO — The Idaho State-Civic Symphony will fill the Stephens Performing Arts Center in Pocatello with wonderful music in a program titled “Manhattan Skyline” this Saturday.
“Manhattan Skyline” serves as the finale to the symphony’s “Notes from New York” 2022-2023 season. Like the other concerts this season, “Manhattan Skyline” features pieces connected to New York, either through the music composers or the musicians playing it.
“It’s music that was born in New York,” said Dr. Nell Flanders, who is conducting the show. “The two New York pieces that are on the program are both by living composers. The first one is a composer named Lowell Liebermann and his piece, ‘Revelry,’ is just an exciting show opener. It’s very virtuosic for the orchestra, and it’s full of energy.”
“The second half (of the concert) has a piece called ‘Strum,’ by a New York composer named Jessie Montgomery. That features just the string section and it’s got kind of a folk-jazz idiom, so a very different style,” Flanders said. “To the best of my knowledge, I don’t think that either of these composers’ works has been performed by this orchestra before. So that’s exciting: to bring new voices to Pocatello.”
Another highlight of the concert will be a performance of Edvard Grieg’s “Concerto in A Minor for Piano and Orchestra.” The piece will feature well-respected New York-based pianist Jeffrey Biegel as a guest soloist.
“That’s not a piece that has any connection to New York, but our soloist is from New York,” said Flanders.
Along with the concert, the public is also invited to pre- and post-concert activities. Flanders will host a chat session with Biegel before the concert. They will share their impressions and perspectives about the music they will perform that night.
The symphony’s board of directors will also host a post-concert reception. This event will allow the public to meet Flanders, Biegel and the other musicians in the symphony, as well as get some refreshing hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Both the pre-concert chat and the after-show reception will be held in the Stephens Performing Arts Center Rotunda.
Flanders moved to Idaho from New York less than a year ago and is completing her first season as ISCS conductor. She also serves as the symphony’s artistic director, a job that gives her many responsibilities.
“The big parts of the job are choosing the programs but also giving some direction to the organization,” she said. “As artistic director, I’m also involved with all of the board meetings and figuring out how we’re going to do marketing and fundraising. I’m in all aspects of the organization.”
The Idaho State-Civic Symphony is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in the early 1900s, making it Idaho’s oldest orchestra. It’s a cooperative effort between Idaho State University and Pocatello and draws musicians from the university student body and music faculty, as well as members of the local community.
“It’s really an amazing collaboration,” Flanders said. “For me, it’s really an incredible organization that unites the university and the community. And because this is the only major orchestra in Pocatello, we serve the university and the city as a cultural focal point.”
Tickets to the Idaho State-Civic Symphony’s 2022-2023 season finale, “Manhattan Skyline,” are available at the Stephens Performing Art Center box office or by calling the SPAC box office at 208-282-3595. Further information about tickets and pricing can be found on the ISCS website.
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