Warren Philharmonic to Mark 50 Years with Free Events
WARREN, Ohio — The Warren Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its golden anniversary the weekend of June 17-19 with a series of free public events.
“We have been meeting for over a year to plan this celebration,” said Gina Bodor, chairman of the celebration committee chairperson. “The area has supported the orchestra for a half century, and we want to provide a wealth of experiences for everyone to enjoy.”
Now concluding its 50th season, the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra is composed of the area’s finest professional musicians. In addition to two concerts for the public, the orchestra performs free school concerts for thousands of area school children. An Art in Music contest is held yearly for Trumbull County students. Its Strings of Joy program provides free violin lessons for selected third through eighth grade students. These students use donated violins, and the free instruction is provided by the generosity of Trumbull 100 and several individual donors.
The golden anniversary celebration kicks off on at 7:30 p.m. June 17, with a free event at the Warren Community Amphitheatre. Ensemble Orchestra musicians will perform at 7:30 p.m., followed by a film screening of August Rush in partnership with the Robins Project and the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County. The evening concludes with a fireworks display at about 10:30 p.m.
June 18 celebrates local arts and history with a Music and Art Hop from 3 to 6 p.m., in partnership with Trumbull Art Gallery and FACT. Hop venues includeTAG, FACT, DNA Studios, Kinsman House, Upton House, John Stark Edwards House, and the Union Savings and Trust Building (Chase Tower).
The Warren Trolley will provide shuttle service among the venues. The orchestra will host a 3 p.m. reception at the Trumbull Art Gallery, 158-162 North Park Ave., one of the trolley stops. Winning entries from the Art in Music Contest will be on display at TAG; Trumbull County students in grades 3 through 8 created visual art about the orchestra’s instruments and the music it performed at the 2015 student concerts. Students Motivated by the Arts is sponsoring Hands-on Art for Children of All Ages in Courthouse Park from 3 to 6 p.m., with free artist materials supplied by Smarts. Live music will be performed in the gazebo .
The anniversary celebration will conclude June 19 with a pops concert by the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra at the First Presbyterian Church, 256 Mahoning Ave. NW. The Joe Augustine Trio and baritone Brian Keith Johnson will perform as well.
The Warren Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1965 with the leadership of John W. Kurtz, an attorney and director of the Warren Civic Chorus. John Blackwell was the orchestra’s first conductor. Dr. George Zach became the music director and conductor in 1968, when the name was changed to the Warren Chamber Orchestra. In 1999, the Warren Chamber Orchestra became a full-sized orchestra and was renamed the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra to reflect that change. Susan Davenny Wyner was named music director and conductor and currently serves in that role.
Facebook: Warren Philharmonic Orchestra.
Website: http://www.warrenphilharmonic.org/
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