WDIY - Calendar

February 5th - The Williams Center for the Arts presents the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with pianist Angela Hewitt at 8:00 p.m. For more information, please call (610) 330-5010 or visit their website.

February 5th - The River City Brass Band, presented by the Allentown Community Concert Assoc., will play a concert at the Parkland High School Auditorium, Fri 7:30pm. For more information call 610-395-8379.

February 5th - Rick Benjamin's Paragon Ragtime Orchestra will appear at Kutztown Univ. Schaeffer Auditorium. They will perform the original score to Douglas Fairbanks's The Mark of Zorro; turn of-the-century waltzes, marches, opratic parodies, blues, and popular music. Silent film discussion with Rick Benjamin: at 7:30 PM. For more information call 610-683-4092

February 5th - Melissa Frey, soprano will hold a recital at Muhlenberg College Dept. of Music Egner Memorial Chapel 7:30pm. For more information call 484-664-33

February 6th - Simon Boccanegra – Simon Boccanegra is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Simón Bocanegra (1843) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Verdi's gripping political thriller, which is written for a baritone. It at La Scala, Milan on 24 March 1881. Approximate running time 3 hours 40 minutes / 2 intermissions. James Levine conducts; Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo, James Morris. Presented in HD at Allentown Symphony Hall.

February 7th - The Moravian String Quartet will perform The Brahms & Schumann Connection at the Moravian College Music Institute, Peter Hall. The Moravian String Quartet features Linda Louise Kistler, violin, Inna Eyzerovich, violin, Simon Maurer, viola, & David Moulton, cello, will be joined by Kristin Ditlow on piano for the Brahms Piano Quintet. Music by Robert Schumann will round out the recital. Sun 4pm. For more information call 610-861-1650.

February 7th - Aram Basmadjian's Organ Recital presented
By The Lehigh Valley Chapter American Guild of Organists
& The Allen Organ Company. The rescital will be held at Christ Church/United Church of Christ in Bethlehem, PA . For more information, please call 610-865-6565.

February 7th - Allentown Music Club presents a recital entitled American Composer Showcase featuring pianist Jonathan Beitler, tenor Gary Edick, flutist Karen El-Chaar, pianist Herbert Heffner, and violinist Thomas Siemiatkoski. Sun 3pm at the Calvary Baptist Church. Free. For more information call 610-264-4407

February 7th - American Guild of Organists, Lehigh Valley Chapter presents an organ concert by Organist Aram Basmadjian at Christ Church U.C.C. Sun 2pm. Free-will offering. For more information call 610-434-7463

February 7th - Valerie Trollinge, bassoon and Kim Webster, oboe of the Kutztown Univ. Department of Music present a recital in the Old Main Building Sun 3pm. Free. For more information call 610-683-4550

February 8th - The renowned St. Olaf Choir, under the direction of Conductor Anton Armstrong, will be appearing in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall on Monday at 7:30 pm. This is the first time in eight years that the choir will be performing in Philadelphia, and The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia is partnering with St. Olaf tomake this concert a success. For more information, please call 215-731-3333 or visit the website.

February 12th – The Kimmel Center presents Helmuth Rilling, conductor leading the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia with the Westminster Choir and Temple University Concert Choir Eric Plutz, org. Helmuth Rilling, joins the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, organist Eric Plutz, and two choirs performing three powerful sacred works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Program: Bach: Cantata BWV 29 (We thank thee, oh Lord, we thank thee)Bach: Cantata BWV 146 (We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God)Bach: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243. The world's leading Bach scholar, renowned conductor

Looking Ahead

February 13 & 14th The Allentown Symphony will present Romeo & Juliet this concert will feature Diane Wittry conducting and Sarah Lane & Luis Ribagorda from the American Ballet Theatre Company. The concert will consist of 4 interpetations of : Romeo & Juliet - David Diamond, Romeo & Juliet Suites – Prokofiev, Romeo & Juliet (Love Scene); Berlioz and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. For more information, please call 610-432-6715or vist their website.

February 21st - Vienna Piano Trio. The Chamber Music Society of Bethlehem is pleased to present the Vienna Piano Trio. For two decades, this group has performed internationally and recorded extensively. They will be bringing us a program of Mozart, Schumann, and Brahms. The Chamber Music Society of Bethlehem has been bringing world class ensembles to the Lehigh Valley since 1951. For more information, please visit their website.

Februray 28th - Allen Organ presents the Macungie Band, with gust soloist, Barry Holben, They will perform in concert at Octave Hall, This is a ticketed event. For more information call Larry Wingard at 610-966-6705 or visit their website.

March 4th - Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro (Marriage of Figaro) is a continuation of the story line of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. At the end of Barber, Rosina and Count Almaviva are wed. In Marriage of Figaro, their relationship has fallen apart. The Count is unfaithful and Rosina has a secret lover of her own. Figaro and Susanna, Rosina's pretty maid, want to marry but they need permission from the Count who would like Susanna for himself. Figaro and Susanna trick the Count into seeing the error of his ways and the opera ends happily. The opera is being staged at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday 7:30 PM. For more information, please call 570-826-1100 or vist their website.

March 13th and 14th; The Allentown Symphony will present the Sibelius Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. The concert will consist of the following selections. Lamentoso (World Premiere) Wittry, Concerto for Violin, Op. 47, d minor, Sibelius,Violin Soloist - SoJin Kim, 2009 Schadt Winner, Symphony No. 3, Op. 56, a minor Mendelssohn. As we create a work of art or recreate it, each of us trys to capture emotions and impressions in music. Driven by a sense of inspiration and passion for what we do, see that passion culminate in a concert featuring a world premiere by Music Director Diane Wittry, a vivid solo performance by the 2009 Schadt String Competition winner, SoJin Kim, and Mendelssohn's musical impressions of the landscape of Scotland. Sit back and enjoy as we bring music to life to touch your heart and your soul. March 13 at 8pm - March 14 at 3pm

March 31th - The Williams Center for the Arts presents the Brentano String Quartet - Critics and audiences alike are enthralled by the Brentano String Quartet.

April 9th - Award-winning saxophonist, David Liebman, joins the Lehigh Valley Jazz Repertory and Lehigh students to play works by Shorter, Pastorius and Zawinul. The concert will be held on Friday, April 9th at Lehigh University's Baker Hall at 8 pm For more information: 610-758-2787.

April 10th - Diane Wittry leads The Allentown Symphony in Gypsy Rhythms with guest performer, Laurence Kaptain playing the Cimbalom.