For many ensembles the Fall season is just a warm-up for the spring.  The 2011 spring performances for orchestras and bands have an eclectic variety of programming, ranging from classical standards to premieres, with acclaimed soloists and challenging ensembles pieces. Here are a few highlights from these ensembles’ programs. 

Orchestra:

This is the final season for the Kansas City Symphony in Lyric Theatre.  They continue the season with their three series. The Classical Series will start this coming weekend, January 7–9, with Dukas’ The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with soloist Haochen Zhang in his Kansas City Symphony debut, and Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra.  Future Classical Series performances will feature favorites such as Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on January 14–16 with soloist André Watts, Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony and Smetana’s “Moldau” from Ma Vlast, on February 4–6.  Check out works by living composers Roberto Sierra on January 28–29 and Osvaldo Golijov on March 19–20.  On March 4–5, KCS performs the world premiere of Adam Schoenberg’s American Symphony and on April 29–May 1 percussionist Martin Grubinger will perform the U.S. premiere of Avner Dorman’s percussion concerto, Frozen in Time.  The season finale on June 17–19 will include Mendelssohn, Bruch, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. 

There are two more performances in the Kansas City Symphony’s Pops Series: a Sinatra tribute with Michael Feinstein on February 11 and a concert version of “The Music Man” on April 1.  The Family Series continues on January 22 and 23 with Peter and the Wolf, March 11 with “Cirque de la Symphonie” and April 10 with a mystery story of “The Composer is Dead.”  Special performances with Quixotic are on May 13–14. For more information, visit www.kcsymphony.org.

Kansas City Civic Orchestra continues its season with performances entitled “Remembering Mahler” featuring Jessica Goldring on Songs of the Wayfarer on February 19 at Atonement Lutheran Church and a finale concert, “Magnificence, Mendelssohn, and Magic,” with works by Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Wagner and a KCCO commission by William Funk on April 16 at the Folly Theater.  www.kccivic.org. 

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra will perform Dvořák’s romantic Serenade for Strings on February 14 and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony on June 24.  www.kcchamberorchestra.org.

There are also orchestras to watch a bit further afield.  Northland Symphony Orchestra opens their spring season on February 27 with Franck’s Symphony in D minor and Verdi’s Overture to the Force of Destiny. This concert features sopranos Sarah Tannehill and Nicole Murray. There are also concerts on April 10 with the Young Artist Competition Winner and “Memorable Marches” on June 5. www.northlandsymphony.org.

The St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra will perform Chamber Concert II with Haydn, Shostakovich, and Schoenfield on January 16 and Chamber Concert III with Arensky, Ponchielli, Martinů, and Paganini on February 13.  Their March 26 concert features music from Verdi, Richard Strauss, and Rodrigo’s Fantasy for a Nobleman with guitarist Anthony Glise.  The finale concert on April 30 is all Beethoven, with the Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 9, performed with the St. Joseph Community Orchestra and the William Jewel Concert Choir.  www.saintjosephsymphony.org

The Topeka Symphony Orchestra starts this half of the season on January 15 with music celebrating the Kansas Sesquicentennial with work from Kansas artists and composers, featuring the world premiere of Kirke Mechem’s From the Heartland.  They will also be performing music from Mozart and Mahler on February 12, a concert with vocal group Five by Design and saxophonist Richie Cole on March 12, and ending the season with the perennial favorites: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. www.topekasymphony.org.

The UMKC Conservatory Symphony Orchestra continues their concert schedule February 5.  On February 25 the concert will feature the 2011 Concerto/Aria Winners and on March 17 the orchestra will perform at the ASTA Conference.  The Chamber Orchestra will perform on April 8. The finale concert, performed with the UMKC Conservatory Choirs, will be April 23; these combined ensembles will perform Francis Poulenc’s Gloria. www.conservatory.umkc.edu

Band:

Wind bands offer a different aural experience.  The Fountain City Brass Band will play two concerts this spring, their schedule interspersed with competitive performances.  This award-winning ensemble’s performances are February 12 and April 30.  www.fcbb.net.  The Kansas City Wind Symphony has concerts on February 13, March 13, and April 3.  www.kcwindsymphony.org

The UMKC Conservatory has two wind groups: the Wind Symphony and the Wind Ensemble.  The Wind Symphony led by Steven D. Davis will play concerts on February 23, March 23, and April 26.  The Wind Ensemble under Joseph Parisi will perform on March 2 and April 21. Visit www.conservatory.umkc.edu for the extended calendar.

From professional ensembles to community and collegiate ensembles, every weekend offers an exciting musical experience. 

Top Photo: Kansas City Civic Orchestra

By Libby Hanssen

Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor

Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.

While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.

Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.

She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.