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WSYO to host free Halloween concert

A Halloween-themed concert will open the Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 30th season. About 50 students will play at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St.

“The Halloween concert is something new,” said Janet Harris, Williamsport Symphony Orchestra executive director. “The symphony’s board has wanted to reinstate a free family concert and is very pleased to offer one this season. The youth orchestra is particularly well-suited to present the Halloween themed music which will be fun for all ages.”

Selections include “The Dark Knight,” “This is Halloween” from “Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Funeral March of a Marionette” with video and highlights from “Wicked.”

The Friends of the Symphony committee will host a pre-concert party at 3 p.m. at the Community Arts Center. Children and adults are invited to come in costume to participate in the event, which includes a parade and pictures of the family.

As part of the pre-concert party, Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers will bring musical instruments that the children can touch and play.

It’s “called a musical petting zoo, no animals, only musical instruments,” Harris said. “Musicians will be there to demonstrate the instruments and assist the children as they try them. It’s a great way for them to see what musical instruments they like best.”

The Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra draws upwards of 50 young musicians from throughout the region. The musicians perform several concerts each season.

One concert is a joint performance with members of the Williamsport Symphony Junior Strings, which is a training program for young string players, Harris said.

Another performance, the Chamber program, requires an audition and provides an opportunity for students to perform with a smaller group and be coached by professional Williamsport Symphony Orchestra musicians specialized in their field, she said.

The Youth Orchestra also is invited to play with Williamsport Symphony Orchestra during the holiday concert, conducted by Maestro Gerardo Edelstein. Students get to interact with and be mentored by musicians during rehearsals and the performance.

“This has become an annual educational opportunity and the event is greatly anticipated by the students and their families,” Harris said.

This year’s holiday concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Community Arts Center.

“The Youth Orchestra has been a great success as it offers a unique opportunity for middle and high school musicians to enhance their musical education, develop their skills and rehearse and perform in a full symphonic orchestra,” Harris said. “None of the schools in the region provides a full orchestral experience on a regular basis, and none provides a string program other than the Williamsport Area School District.”

The program has been attracting home-school students lately, she said.

“For many students, this is their only outlet for an orchestra program without travelling many hours to a much larger city,” Harris said.

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