Symphony season opens with bold statements

Glacier Symphony and Chorale will open its 23rd season in grand style with a "Cathedral of Sound" featuring music by two of Vienna's late 19th-century musical masters, Brahms and Bruckner.

Two performances will be offered in the Flathead High School auditorium: Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.

Conducted by music director John Zoltek, the concert will open with the exciting orchestral showpiece, Wagner's "Lohengrin Prelude to Act 3." This will be followed by a performance of Brahm's Violin Concerto in D, featuring guest artist David Halen, Concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony.

"David Halen is a consummate musician and a generous human being, a truly extraordinary violinist whose sound will transport you. As concertmaster of one of the finest orchestras in America, the Saint Loius Symphony, Halen stands at the pinnacle of his profession," Zoltek said.

Bruckner's massive, "Romantic" Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major will occupy the second half of the program. Composed four years prior to the Brahms' violin concerto, the Fourth Symphony is Bruckner's most-performed work. The symphony is both large in design and expression and stands at the apex in the Viennese classical/romantic style of the late 19th century.

"This is big music, composed on an expansive musical design to create an optimum aesthetic impact," Zoltek explains. "The program sets an appropriate tone for our season's theme of Musical Art in a Modern World."

Guest violinist Halen began studying the violin at age 6 and earned his bachelor's degree at the age of 19. He was granted a Fulbright scholarship for study with Wolfgang Marschner at the Freiburg Hochschule fuer Musik in Germany, the youngest recipient ever to have been honored with this prestigious award.

He was named as Concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony in 1995 and has been enthusiastically received as a soloist in the United States, Europe and the Far East. In March 2004, his performance of Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Concerto funebre was described by music critic Sarah Bryan Miller as one of the most outstanding moments of the Saint Louis Symphony. His Kalispell performance will be played on a 1753 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, made in Milan, Italy.

The Glacier Symphony is offering a season-ticket package that includes six Masterworks Concerts for the price of five as well as a ticket package for all nine concerts. Season ticket prices range from $45 for student general admission to $180 for an adult all-concert reserved seat ticket.

In addition, a special offer is being made to those who have not previously purchased a season ticket. Those tickets can be purchased through Oct. 16, the opening concert weekend. Please call the office, 257-3241 to reserve season tickets in advance of the concert.

Individual tickets for "Cathedral of Sound" are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $9 for students. They are available at the following ticket outlets: Books West in Kalispell; The Village Shop, Dwyers' Gallery and Montana Coffee Traders downtown, in Whitefish; Glacier Wallflower in Columbia Falls; ArtFusion in Bigfork; Sliters Ace Hardware in Lakeside; Big Sky Century 21 Realty in Polson, and at the door.

For more concert information call the office at 257-3241 ext.1. Complete details about ticket pricing and packages and mail-in order forms can be found on the Web site: www.glaciersymphonychorale.org.

Due to a recent fire the offices have moved to the Museum at Central School, 124 Second Ave. E. Entrance to the downstairs office is from the north parking lot; and elevator is available. The phone number and mailing address remain the same.

Violinist David Halen will present a free, 50-minute youth concert for Flathead valley students on Oct. 14 at Flathead High School. The performance is part of the Glacier Symphony & Chorale's Wild About Music program and is organized by the League of GSC. Teachers and home-school students may contact Gwen Palchak at 257-3241 to reserve seats for the performance. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.