Photo Option: Midcoast Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, Rohan Smith, and piano virtuoso and frequent orchestra soloist George Lopez. Contributed photo via Midcoast Symphony Orchestra
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra has announced it will not be performing concerts through May in Topsham and Lewiston. Instead, the orcestra will offer a variety of free online events.
The orchestra will continue its series of Facebook Live chats with conductor and music director Rohan Smith as well as guest artists.
“Gabbing with George about George” will be presented Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. Smith and pianist George Lopez will talk about George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” that Lopez performed with Midcoast Symphony Orchestra in 2009. They will explore the roots of the piece as well as how various artists, including Lopez, have interpreted it.
Rohan Smith is in his 17th season with Midcoast Symphony Orchestra and has led the orchestra to critical acclaim in performances of the major symphonic repertoire. Smith is also director of Orchestral and Chamber Music at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and a professional violinist, having performed orchestral and chamber music in Europe, Australia and the New York City area.
Lopez has been a featured pianist across the globe as recitalist and soloist with orchestras. He has been guest soloist with Midcoast Symphony Orchestra numerous times and is an audience favorite. He is the Beckwith Artist in Residence at Bowdoin College and conducts the Bowdoin Chamber Orchestra, in addition to being a piano instructor there.
This event is free and open to the public on Midcoast Symphony Orchestra’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/midcoastsymphony). It can be viewed there any time after the live event, as well as on the orchestra’s YouTube channel.
Smith will host his next online chat with New York City trumpeter, conductor, and composer Wayne du Maine on Sat. Mar. 13, 7 p.m. Du Maine was to have conducted the orchestra in March, in addition to being soloist. To stay current on Midcoast Symphony Orchestra events, sign up for its online newsletter by emailing info@midcoastsymphony.org.
The Midcoast Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra founded in 1990. Started as a chamber orchestra, there are now more than 80 members. Under the baton of Rohan Smith, the orchestra brings top-notch performances to the Orion Center in Topsham and the Gendron Franco Center in Lewiston. Members are volunteer musicians across Maine.
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