Poway Symphony Orchestra to Celebrate 20th Anniversary with March 24 Concert

The Poway Symphony Orchestra’s first performance of 2024 will be a 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert featuring orchestral masterpieces from the 19th and 20th centuries on March 24 at 4 p.m. at the Poway Center for Performing Arts.

The program includes Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the bright and Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op 46 by Antonin Dvořák. Also a rare performance of the powerful Sinfonia Sacra by Andrzej Panufnik.

Following the concert, attendees are invited to a casual reception in the lobby to meet the maestro and musicians.

“In selecting the music for this celebration concert, I wanted to focus on the talent of our Orchestra, so there is no guest artist this time,” said John LoPiccolo, conductor and music director for the PSO. “The music highlights all the sections in the orchestra, with some stunning solo performances. I’m so proud and excited to put the spotlight on our Orchestra.”

This concert expands the Orchestra’s repertoire with pieces it has never before performed. Scheherazade, inspired by the Tales of the Arabian Nights, will open the concert.

“This glorious, challenging piece is perfect to show off our Orchestra,” LoPiccolo said. It opens with a beautiful violin solo by Concertmaster Ulli Reiner and builds as the rest of the orchestra takes turns sharing themes and solos, and then ends quietly as the storytelling concludes.

Sinfonia Sacra by Panufnik is the first contemporary work that LoPiccolo has programmed for the PSO. “It is a bravura piece, enormous in scope and depth,” he said, “and demonstrates how far the orchestra has come. While it may be unfamiliar to many, we’re delighted to introduce our audience to something very special that they may not have heard before. This concert will truly be a celebration of the Orchestra and a gift to our community.”

The Poway Symphony Orchestra was formed in the summer of 2004 when Ulli Reiner brought together some interested musicians with the idea of presenting classical music concerts to the community. As a class in “orchestra playing” offered under the umbrella of the Poway Unified School District Adult School, the Orchestra’s first performance took place on April 1, 2005.

“From these humble beginnings, the Orchestra has grown into a thriving 65-member semi-professional orchestra,” said Bo Matthys, president of the Poway Symphony Orchestra Foundation. “It has grown over the years through the dedication and talents of the musicians, the artistic leadership of previous conductors and our present music director, financial support from several grantors and generous donors, continued affiliation with the Poway Unified School District Adult School, and of course the support from our many patrons.”

Tickets for the 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert on March 24 are now on sale at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts website at powaycenter.com or by calling the box office at 858-748-0505.

The reception following the 20th Anniversary Celebration concert is included with the price of admission. For more information about the Poway Symphony Orchestra, visit powaysymphonyorchestra.org.