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The Rockbridge Symphony will perform its final concert of the season in partnership with Southern Virginia University’s Camerata Orchestra on Saturday, May 6.
Co-conducted by Dr. Jakob Hofer of SVU and Dr. Yi-Ping Chen, artistic director for the Rockbridge Symphony and faculty at James Madison University, the program includes Leonard Bernstein selections from “West Side Story” and Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
Chen shared the vision for the concert: “In the final concert, we want to realize Dvorak’s vision of the future of American music as inclusive as the music school he started in America back in 1892. As we listen to his New World Symphony, we are honoring both the past and the future of our beautiful country’s inhabitants. This symphony is as much a celebration of the new world as it is a love letter to Dvorak’s homeland in the Czech Republic.”
She further explained, “As an immigrant, Dvorak understands the pain of leaving behind loved ones and the quest to look for belonging in the new country. The newest movie rendition of Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’ perfectly describes the dream of belonging as the song ‘There’s A Place for Us’ is being sung by the Puerto Rican wanting to feel at home in America. We can’t wait to contribute to the welcoming spirit of our community with music.”
The concert will be at Southern Virginia University’s Performing Arts Center (formerly Chandler Hall) and will begin at 7:30 p.m. The hall is on Chestnut Avenue with parking just north of the hall on 27th Street and Chestnut Avenue, and street parking is also available.
Admission is free but contributions to SVU’s Camerata Orchestra and the Rockbridge Symphony are appreciated.
Physical access to the concert hall is limited, with a short staircase to climb. For physical access information, call (760) 415-7593 or (540) 460-1214.
For any updates, follow the Rockbridge Symphony’s Facebook page or SVU’s Instagram page.
