The Grand Rapids Symphony Musicians Association will perform a free hour-long concert on September 8 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum's Meijer Theater.

The concert will feature past and present musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony as soloists, composers, and conductors. The concert will pay tribute to how symphony musicians in Grand Rapids have served the community since 1930.

The program will feature music of the past and present, with a focus on American composers.

The concert will open with Aaron Copland’s Inaugural Fanfare, Commissioned in 1969 by the City of Grand Rapids for the unveiling of Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse. It will also pay tribute to the Roaring Twenties with George Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm.

Grand Rapids Symphony members will work as composers for two performances:

  • Island Eyescapade (2013) by Jeremy Crosmer, Assistant Principal Cello, which is based on the Georges Seurat painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte".
  • Elegy by Alexander L. Miller, Assistant Principal Oboe, written in 2014 in memory of symphony friend Mike Lobbestael.

Past and present Grand Rapids Symphony soloists:

  • Dave Hall, Assistant Principal Percussion: Marimba Concerto by Ney Rosauro.
  • Beth Colpean, Principal Harp: Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus by Vaughan Williams.
  • Ellen Sherman, Principal Oboe, Suzy Bratton, Principal Clarinet, Rick Britsch, Principal Horn, and Martha Bowman, former Principal Bassoon, Movement 1 of Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart.
  • Joseph Conyers, former Principal Bass will peform Danny Boy.

The orchestra will be led by:

  • Andrew Koehler, Music Director of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia (Kalamazoo College) and Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra.
  • Kristen A. Shoup, Viola and Assistant Conductor of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s Classical Orchestra.
  • Dan Mattson, Assistant Principal Trombone and member of the Western Brass Quintet (WMU).
  • Andrew Pool, Viola and Director of Orchestras at Forest Hills Central High School.

The program will close with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

More From 100.5 FM The River