Page 6 - Coming Together

We’ve made it! A successful, complete MasterWorks season has come to fruition and I
couldn’t be prouder. With tonight’s concert performance, the Muscatine Symphony
Orchestra has been able to do what very few performing arts organizations have.
I am thrilled that we have been able to present five brand new performances to you, our
audience, during these unprecedented times. I truly hope that you have enjoyed every
moment of these performances as well as this coming performance.

Bringing more of our woodwind family, and brass family back to the performance stage
is really important to me. I am happy we have been able to succeed in this goal—safely
and effectively. For many of these musicians, this performance is their very first
performance since all of the cancellations due to the pandemic, and their excitement and
eagerness to play is infectious.

Tonight’s performance brings many familiar composer names and their lesser known
music, as well as very well-known compositions that are very popular in the symphonic
realm. I am also excited about the opportunity to perform the World Premier of another
work by good friend and colleague, David Stern. I have had the honor and pleasure of
not only performing a number of his symphonic works, but have also given a number of
premiers for his compositions. His ―Rhapsody for Violin and Strings‖ is a very beautiful
composition and we will be featuring our concertmaster, Heather Turner, as the solo
violin. His music has always reached inside listeners in such personal ways. I am
confident this work will have an equally profound impact. My only wish is that you
could be in the concert hall to experience it in person.
Thank you for a wonderful, virtual concert year. Be safe and I’ll see you at the
Symphony very soon!