If only you had known what you would be missing by not coming to Saturday night's concert by the Mid-Columbia Youth Symphony and music director Adrienne Shields. It was a delightful program, from the Cadet Strings showing off their budding skills on three movements from Britten's Simple Symphony, to guest artist soprano Gayla Blaisdell dazzling the audience on Berlioz' song cycle Les nuits d'été. Rounding out the well-programmed concert were selections from the movie La La Land, by Justin Hurwitz, Cimarosa's overture to The Secret Marriage, and the ever-popular Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. And with a nod to the May 4 date, the Cadet Strings joined the Youth Symphony on stage for a surprise encore: a Star Wars suite!
This concert is a great example of the wonderful collaborative musical education provided by our local school music teachers, private music instructors, and non-profit organizations like the Mid-Columbia Symphony. All it takes is experiencing one of these performances to be inspired by the bright new musicians, and to feel hope for the future of the arts and culture in our community and in our world.
Arts Events in Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, WA
