April 15, 2022

Local instrumentalists invited to perform

The Susquehanna University Symphony Orchestra is looking for local musicians to join them for a concert to benefit humanitarian efforts in war-torn Ukraine.

Gather at the Gate: A Concert for Peace and Freedom in Ukraine is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at the Stretansky Concert Hall at the Cunningham Center for Music and Art. The orchestra is under the direction of Jordan Randall Smith, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music.

“Pennsylvania has the second largest population of people claiming Ukrainian ancestry of any state in the United States, according to our governor,” Smith said. “This region is rich in musical talent, and I hope they will join us in the Stretansky Concert Hall not only to honor Ukraine’s rich musical tradition, but also to support the many people fleeing their country. ”

Registered orchestra musicians (bass, bassoon, cello, clarinet, flute, French horn, harp, oboe, percussion, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola and violin) of all ages who wish to take part in the show should come to Stretansky Concert Hall at 5:30 p.m. for a brief rehearsal with the Susquehanna University Symphony Orchestra. Community performance pieces are the Ukrainian national anthem, by Mykhailo Verbytsky; Prayer for Ukraine, by Mykola Lyssenko; and The Great Gate of kyivby Modest Mussorgsky.

A collection will be made for the benefit of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which supports refugees fleeing the Russian invasion. For more information about the event, and to register and download scores, visit suorchestras.com/gather.