West Texas Symphony’s 62nd season opens on September 7 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center. The concert, titled “American Stories,” takes place at 7:30 p.m. featuring timeless works for orchestra which were written in America in the early 20th century.
“We are excited to welcome Ethan Blake to the Permian Basin! If you have not been to hear your Symphony Orchestra recently, mark your calendars!” Ethan Wills, Executive Director, said in a news release.
The night begins with Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. Written in New York in 1894 for his cellist friend Hanus Wihan, the piece is highly favored among cello works, and known for its rich composition.
Featured cellist Ethan Blake has played around the world for a variety of audiences. As a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, Blake has performed a wide variety of repertoire in venues across the United States, Italy, and Japan. He was an avid performer in the Front Range of Colorado and served as Assistant Principal Cello in the Boulder Philharmonic and as a member of the Boulder Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared as principal cellist with ensembles such as the Fort Collins Symphony, the Greeley Philharmonic, and the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra, and has also performed with the Colorado Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and the Alabama Symphony.
As a teacher, Blake has served as a cello instructor at the Boulder Symphony Music Academy and as a Teaching Artist at El Sistema Colorado, along with working frequently with middle and high school cello sections around the area. He currently serves on the faculties of the ROCmusic Collaborative and the Eastman Community Music School. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Ethan is currently pursuing a Master’s of Music at the Eastman School of Music.
The evening’s finale showcases the orchestra’s artistry with William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1. Known as the “Dean of Afro-American composers,” he made his impression on classical music forever. He was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra and the first to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. Still was one of the major figures, and the leading classical musician, of the Harlem Renaissance.
Tickets are $12 – $60 and can be purchased at wtxs.org or by calling 800-514-3849. Student tickets are just $12 with a paying adult or valid college ID. Grand and Masterworks Series will be available until September 7.
Patrons are also invited to experience Symphony SoundBites, a pre-concert dinner held before the performance in the Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center. By purchasing a ticket to this catered event, patrons will enjoy dining with friends as Maestro Gary Lewis provides an insider’s view of the evening’s program. On the menu is Brisket Carving Station, Smoked Sausage, Smoked Chicken with all the fixings. Seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased for $30 each by calling the Wagner Noël Box Office at 432-552-4437. Deadline to purchase SoundBites tickets is Friday, August 30.
“American Stories” is generously sponsored by Midland Symphony Guild, Odessa Symphony Guild, HEB, Ann & Ken Hankins, Jr., and Diann & John McKee. For more information on West Texas Symphony events, please visit wtxs.org.
