CHARLESTON, W.VA. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will host West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s (WVSO) Young People’s Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston with performances at 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. The 11:30 a.m. concert will feature a side-by-side performance of the Star-Spangled Banner with select students from local Save The Music grantee schools. The program is sponsored by the recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF).
The event will open with a welcome from WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith, along with special guests and speakers Dan Beck, trustee, Music Performance Trust Fund, and Henry Donahue, executive director, Save The Music.
“We are excited to welcome the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Save The Music and the Music Performance Trust Fund,” said WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith. “It is a pleasure to be able to partner with these amazing organizations to invest in and promote the arts, while also showcasing young musicians from across the mountain state.”
“The Music Performance Trust Fund is pleased to support the Save The Music Foundation’s leadership in celebration of music education in West Virginia,” said Dan Beck, Trustee. “We are excited to bring the musicians from the West Virginia Symphony to this wonderfully collaborative experience, and we salute the musicians and members of Local 136 of the American Federation of Musicians.”
“Save The Music is proud to collaborate with our partners in West Virginia to bring the joy of making music to the lives of students. Thank you to the Music Performance Trust Fund, WVSO, and the WV Department of Arts, Culture, and History, and all of the music educators that have made this opportunity a possibility,” stated Henry Donahue, Executive Director of Save The Music Foundation.
Local students selected to open the performance alongside the Symphony are Naomi Moccio, trumpet, Winfield Middle School; Joey Bacon, cello, Barboursville Middle School; Brody Hammers, viola, Barboursville Middle School; Sophia Giraldo, violin, Barboursville Middle School; and Michael Evans, clarinet, Horace Mann Middle School.
“The WVSO is thankful to our partners with the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History, Save The Music, and the Music Performance Trust Fund for helping to make this collaboration a success,” said WVSO President Joe Tackett. “We can’t wait to see our talented, local students perform alongside professional musicians on stage.”
One of the WV Symphony’s strongest initiatives, the Young People’s Concert Series reaches thousands of students annually. Students from schools and programs across the region and state are bussed in to enjoy these concerts.
The 11:30 a.m. concert will be live-streamed on the West Virginia Public Broadcasting You Tube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/WestVirginiaPublicBroadcasting.
Program Schedule:
9:45 a.m. West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concert
11:30 a.m. Welcome
Curator Randall Reid-Smith, WVDACH
Henry Donahue, Save The Music
Dan Beck, Music Performance Trust Fund
11:35 a.m. Star Spangled Banner with Save The Music grantee school students and West Virginia Symphony Orchestra
11:40 a.m. West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concert
12:30 p.m. Program Concludes
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation, and museums. Visit the Department’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information. The WVDACH is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to support admission-free, live events performed by professional musicians throughout the United States and Canada. Established more than 70 years ago, the MPTF is funded by music companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Learn more at www.musicpf.org.
The Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Founded in 1997, Save The Music partners with school districts and raises funds to restore music programs in public schools. Since inception, the organization has donated over $63 million worth of new musical instruments, equipment, and technology to 2,290 schools in 286 school districts around the country–impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. Learn more about Save The Music and its efforts at www.savethemusic.org.
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is West Virginia’s premier performing arts organization, presenting classical and pops concerts annually throughout the Mountain State. Currently in its 83rd season, the WVSO is a proud member of the community and enriches the region by providing affordable, high-quality concerts, collaborations with West Virginia arts organizations and a nationally award-winning education program. For more information about the WVSO and its current season, visit www.wvsymphony.org.
Contact: Andrea Nelson, public information specialist, WVDACH, Andrea.E.Nelson@wv.gov or 304-558-0220.