Tehachapi Symphony presents spring concert
The Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra’s spring concert, conducted under the baton of David Newby, took place Sunday afternoon.
The always popular community concerts once left almost only standing room to those who may have arrived late. Country Oaks Baptist Church offers large seating capacity and fine acoustics for the orchestra performances.
The afternoon performance started with the world premier of “San Gabriel Mountains,” an orchestral piece written and composed by David Stern. The weeping composition is rich in strings and horns.
“I’m a fan of Aaron Copland and as I sat on my home balcony in Los Angeles looking out at the San Gabriel Mountains, I was inspired to try and compose a piece befitting their majestic beauty,” Stern said. His current composition came about as a result of the Tehachapi Symphony’s Composition Contest. Stern is bicoastal as he is currently chief conductor of the Palm Beach Opera Company. A music educator,
Stern also won this prestigious Tehachapi competition a few years ago for “The Golden Thread.”
Stern’s composition was followed by the piano mastery of professional performer and guest artist Rufus Choi. Choi’s selection was the three movements of “The Emperor,” a Piano Concerto in Eb Major, Op.73 by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Preformed with an artist’s passion and an accompanying orchestral richness, the performance led to a standing ovation by the audience.
After a brief intermission, the orchestra concluded the performance with four movements of Symphony No.104 in D Major known as “The London Symphony” by Franz Joseph Hayden.
Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra performances are always free to the public. It relies on donations for its continued existence.
“Each performance has operating costs in the thousands of dollars and so we rely on donations, grants and monetary gifts,” said Music Director David Newby. Donation information as well as performance schedules and general
information can be obtained at tehachapiorchestra.com.