MUSICIANS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY JOIN SAINT LOUIS SYMPHONY MUSICIANS TO THANK THE SAINT LOUIS COMMUNITY
St. Louis, March 7, 2005
Posted: 2005-03-04 12:08:29
In an unprecedented show of solidarity and support, musicians from 13 other U.S. symphony orchestras will join the musicians of the Saint Louis Symphony in a free concert on March 13 at 4 pm at the Manchester United Methodist Church, 129 Woods Mill Road, 63011.
The 80+ musicians will perform together under the baton of Benjamin
Zander, internationally famed conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, in
this free concert to thank the Saint Louis community for the
overwhelming support and generosity given the musicians of the Saint
Louis Symphony during the recent work stoppage. "The Saint Louis
community was there for us during these past eight weeks," exclaims
Dana Myers, a symphony violinist and a member of the musicians' concert
committee, "and this concert is to show our gratitude and say thank you
Saint Louis."
In speaking to the Saint Louis community about the importance of this
concert, Maestro Zander says "Great music can change our lives. The
SLSO is here to stay, it is your orchestra and in honor of your support
in difficult times, we are giving you an experience of what great music
can do for us as individuals and as a community. Musicians from many
of America's great orchestras have volunteered their time to join us in
giving you this gift." He adds, "During the afternoon concert we will
transport your minds and souls to places you cannot reach in ordinary
life - places of the heart and the spirit that only reveal themselves
when we are led there by great music."
The concert will feature Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, a composition
Maestro Zander feels "explores the gamut of human emotion and take us
on a grand journey."
"The entire concert," explains musicians' concert committee member and
symphony cellist Catherine Lehr-Ramos, "is a fitting tribute to a
community whose outpouring of support buoyed our spirits during the
past difficult weeks."
The musicians of the Saint Louis Symphony also are indebted to the
many musicians who will travel here to perform in this "Thank You Saint
Louis" concert and to the many musical organizations that contributed
to the musicians' relief fund. Musicians performing in this concert
are from the Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston,
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, and
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestras and the New York and Florida
Philharmonic Orchestras.
Orchestras and musician union locals that made donations to the Saint
Louis Musicians' relief fund include Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,
Atlanta Federation of Musicians, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Boston
Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony
Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Federation of Musicians,
Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas/Ft. Worth
Federation of Musicians, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Federation
of Musicians, Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra,
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Kansas City Symphony, Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Los Angeles Federation of Musicians, Louisville
Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra,
Minnesota Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony
Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet
Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony,
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San
Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Opera Players
Organization, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, and Toronto Symphony
Players.
