Penfield Symphony Orchestra's "Myths and Mysteries" Concert on October 20, 2025

The Penfield Symphony Orchestra, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the Rochester community for 70 years, will present a concert “Myths and Mysteries,” the first concert of the PSO’s 70th season, filled with familiar classics and new surprises, conducted by our music director, Dr. Jared Chase. The concert commences with Glinka’s exciting Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila, a worthy curtain-raiser, with its unique Russian combination of energetic exuberance and heroic feeling. Of our next piece, Jennifer Higdon spoke about her blue cathedral as “creating the sensation of contemplation and quiet peace, moving towards the feeling of celebration and ecstatic expansion of the soul, all the while singing along with that heavenly music.” Alan Hovhaness’s Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain,” one of the composer's most celebrated and enduring works, is next, evoking other-worldly planes, with the strings and winds in turn proclaiming hymns to the heavens, eventually leading to an ethereal conclusion. Our concert concludes with Stravinsky’s renowned Firebird Suite, which features masterful orchestration techniques and chromaticism to depict mystical themes and simple folk songs to represent the mortal world, while string glissandos and tremolos mirror the bird’s shimmering plumage, and energetic woodwinds show her struggle to escape. Finally, a solo horn announces a new dawn, with a majestic theme building as light and goodness triumphantly return. A very special pre-concert lecture in the auditorium for ticket holders will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by Q&A with the audience. This concert, which has received special support from a Monroe County Midsized Arts Grant, will be held on October 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Penfield High School Auditorium, located at 25 High School Drive in Penfield, New York. Tickets can be purchased online at www.penfieldsymphony.org, by phone at 585-872-0774, and at the door on the night of the concert. Tickets cost $15 for adults. For students of any age with a student ID, $1. Group rates are available for parties of six or more. The Penfield Symphony Orchestra is a 90-piece orchestra whose goal is to enrich the Rochester community by providing fine music in a setting where both amateur and professional musicians can perform a variety of classical repertoire. For information on concerts and highlights, follow the Penfield Symphony Orchestra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PenfieldSymphonyOrchestra, or visit the website at http://www.penfieldsymphony.org. ### Founded in 1955, the Penfield Symphony Orchestra (PSO) offers four classical music concerts per season to audiences of all ages. Amateur and professional musicians in the 90-piece orchestra enrich the Rochester community by providing fine classical, modern, and pops music. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the orchestra also sponsors an annual competition where young musicians audition to win recognition and an opportunity to solo with a symphony orchestra. Over its history, the PSO has commissioned many new works, and concerts have featured guest artists of local and national renown. The PSO Board of Directors and musicians are dedicated volunteers who are passionate about promoting arts and music and who, quite simply, like to make and perform great music together.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3269090-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3269090-2

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