Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WSO) String Quintet will present a free concert at Bridgeport High School Auditorium on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:00 pm. This event, sponsored by the Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation’s IVORY EVENING project, also provides an opportunity for all Harrison County School strings students to interact with these exceptional professional musicians.
At 6:00 pm preceding the Quintet’s concert, they will present a brief performance with a “question and answer” session open to all string students. The public is encouraged to arrive early enough to share both these musical events.
The WSO String Quintet features a familiar string quartet plus an additional violinist. They are Maureen Conlon Gutierrez, violin; Ellen-Maria Willis, violin; Jennifer Gerhard, viola; Elisa Kohanksi, cello and Jeffrey T. Mangone, Sr. bass. The concert and educational session are free and open to the public.
Phil Wyatt, President of the Cultural Foundation, invites everyone to share both this chamber concert and the return of the full Wheeling Symphony Orchestra concert on at Saturday, July 2, at Clarksburg Amphitheater. These concerts are made possible with funding from the Barbara B. Highland Fund for the Arts.
Dolores Yoke says, “Barbara B. Highland believed in the joy of shared musical experiences. Her generous bequest to our community brings us these opportunities.”
Last July, the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WSO) was excited to return to Harrison County for their Celebrate America tour. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. After several attempts to wait out the storm, the concert was cancelled. The Cultural Foundation is bringing full orchestra back this coming July and has collaborated with the Harrison County School System to assure an alternate indoor venue in the event of rain again this July.
As a token of appreciation, WSO Executive Director Bruce Wheeler promised to have ensemble groups perform in anticipation of the full orchestra returning on July 2, 2016. And local string and brass music students have been enthused by their spring semester work with WSO’s musicians.
“The Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation went above and beyond to get the Wheeling Symphony back to the area last year. Having another year pass by without the opportunity to perform in Harrison County just didn’t seem right,” Wheeler said.
To make good on the promised performances, the WSO Brass Ensemble performed a concert of thanks in March.
“Having the Wheeling Symphony Brass Ensemble last March in two concerts was a wonderful experience and a real treat for both students and the general public,” said Dolores Yoke, Cultural Foundation Board Member.
The chamber music coming to the area this month by the WSO String Quintet is a wonderful preview of the excitement their full orchestra will present over the July 4th holiday weekend. Plan to attend both of these “gifts to our community”.
