Idaho State Civic Symphony announces 2014-15 schedule, season tickets still available for purchase

The Idaho State Civic Symphony has announced its 2014-15 concert schedule and season tickets are still available at a discounted price until Sept. 26.

The season is titled “Chronicle: Magic, Myth, and Madness,” and is under the direction of Grant Harville, ISCS artistic director and conductor and ISU assistant professor of music.

“Dr. Harville has put together an outstanding season of five classical concerts and two special concert events with an eclectic group of guest artists like Béla Fleck on the banjo and Patrick Sheridan on the tuba,” said ISCS President Rayna Valentine. “You’ll be enchanted by the magic they can bring to the stage with their instruments.”

There will be a mix of Friday and Saturday concerts in the Classical Series, and the Christmas concert is a two-performance event on Friday and Saturday evenings. The special event concert is the Saturday matinee Halloween Family Concert, featuring Brenda Stanley narrating a script she wrote specifically for the concert. There will be pre-concert activities for children and everyone is encouraged to come in costume.

For this year’s annual Valentine’s Gala fundraiser, the orchestra will be joined on stage for the evening’s “Ballet at the Symphony” by Sergiu Brindusa and Beth Moore and their ballet dancers.

Classical Series Dates:

• Sept. 17 – Patrick Sheridan on tuba, also featuring Beethoven’s “Egmost Overture” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.”
• Nov. 14 – Young Artists Competition winners Yonsoo Park and Adam Merrill. Also featuring Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5.”
• Dec. 13 -14- Annual Christmas concert featuring ISU Choirs and Camerata Singers.
• March 21 – Béla Fleck on banjo, also featuring Harville’s “The West Bench” (world premiere) and Copland’s “Appalachian Spring.”
• April 24 – Soprano Diana Livingston Friedley, also featuring Debussy’s “Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun”, Canteloube’s “Selections from Chants d’Auvergne” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4.”

Special Event Concert Dates:

• Oct. 25 – The Halloween Spooktacular family concert at 2 p.m. Pre-concert activities for children in the Rotunda will begin at 1 p.m.
• Feb. 13 – The Valentine’s Gala featuring guest artists Beth Moore and Sergiu Brindusa with the Brindua-Moore Ballet Academy Ensemble. The evening’s activities will include the third annual Symphony raffle and the pre-concert Valentine’s dinner. Seating for the Valentine’s dinner is limited.
All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. unless stated otherwise.

Patrons may choose between two season ticket packages:

Package A includes the five Classical Series concerts plus the Ballet at the Symphony Valentine’s Gala. Prices are: Adult – $165, ISU faculty/staff – $150 and non-ISU student – $90.

Package B includes the five Classical Series concerts only. Prices are: Adult – $140, ISU faculty/staff – $127 and non-ISU student – $75.

Other ticket prices:

• ISU students are admitted free of charge to all five Classical Series concerts with a valid student Bengal ID card.
• Family Concert matinee: Single, $8; family of up to four people, $27.
• Individual concert tickets: Adult, $34; ISU faculty/staff, $31; non-ISU students, $18; and third-tier balcony seating, $12 (no age restrictions, limited seating).

Tickets are subject to a $4 Box Office handling fee (per order) and applicable credit card charges. Tickets are available for purchase at the Stephen’s Performing Arts Center Box Office, 282-3595.

Season brochures are available at the Box Office and will provide complete information for ticket orders and/or contributions to the Symphony.