Music

Symphonic Double-Header

adult and youth symphonies tackle Beethoven, Mozart, and more

Tom Giffey |

CV Symphony  conductor  Nobu Yasuda
CV Symphony conductor Nobu Yasuda

If you’re a devotee of classical music, it’s time to clear your calendar for a symphonic twofer. On Saturday, March 12, the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Youth Concert at 4:30pm at the State Theatre in downtown Eau Claire. The program, titled “A History of Music,” will feature teen violinist Julian Rhee, winner of this year’s Kristo Orthodontics Young Artist Competition, as well as UW-Eau Claire’s Singing Statesmen and the Chippewa Valley Youth Symphony. The performance will include the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 1 (which he composed at the ripe old age of 8!) and the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (all together now: Da-da-da-dummmm!). The Youth Symphony’s portion of the concert includes “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copeland’s ballet Rodeo and a tribute to John Williams’ famed film scores. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $7 for students. The music continues when the Youth Symphony takes the stage on its own at 3pm the next day (Sunday, March 13) in UWEC’s Gantner Concert Hall for a free “Spring is Coming!” concert. Featured pieces will include “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod; “Satirical Dance” from The Bolt by Shostakovich; “An Outdoor Overture” by Copeland; the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5; and “A Dance of Clowns” by Mendelssohn. To learn more about these and other upcoming symphony concerts, visit cvsymphony.org and cvyouthsymphony.org