The Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rohan Smith, continues the company’s 35th season with a concert titled “Invigorating Water Music” performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Franco Center in Lewiston and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham.

A boy experiments with playing the timpani while two other children check out the cymbals during a previous “Meet the Instruments” event. Heather Linkin photo

The MSO’s January concert traditionally is programmed to appeal to young audience members, and in keeping with that commitment, the concerts feature a number of components showcasing students, as well as the annual “Meet the Instruments” events, which allow people of all ages to try orchestral instruments.

The program for “Invigorating Water Music” includes two movements from George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music,” which was composed in 1717 and premiered by a boat full of 50 musicians trailing King George I’s boat on the River Thames. The concert also features two movements from Duke Ellington’s “The River Suite,” from a score commissioned by Alvin Ailey for his American Ballet Theater in 1970. Other works the MSO brings to life include: Charles Ives’ “The Housatonic at Stockbridge,” the final melodic movement of the composer’s Three Places in New England; a fascinating modern composition by Alan Hovhaness, “And God Created Great Whales,” that included actual whale sounds; Felix Mendelssohn’s “The Hebrides (Overture),” inspired by Fingal’s Cave on the namesake islands; and the stirring “The Moldau” from Má Vlast, by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.

Trombonist Joshua Zhang will join Midcoast Symphony Orchestra for a piece of its concerts on Jan. 18 and 19. Yuegang Zhang photo

Joining the MSO for the first movement of Henri Tomasi’s “Trombone Concerto” is trombonist Joshua Zhang, winner of the biennial Judith Elser Concerto Competition. Zhang is a computer science and music double major at Colby College from Wayland, Massachusetts, who began playing trombone in fourth grade. Additionally, Lewiston High School alumnus Kyle Almquist, winner of the MSO’s silent auction last spring and son of MSO horn player Beth Almquist, conducts the orchestra in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Theme” from Swan Lake. The final youth component for these concerts takes the form of artwork — created by students from Connors Elementary in Lewiston, Bowdoinham Community School, Brunswick Junior High, Mt. Ararat Middle School, and the Portland Arts and Technology High School — that will be shown during several of the pieces.

In keeping with the focus on youth for this concert, each concert will be preceded by the popular “Meet the Instruments” event, at which audience members of all ages can try many instruments featured in the symphony’s performance. MSO musicians will be present to provide instruction and guidance on how to play their instrument. This event begins one hour before each of the two concerts — at 6 p.m. in the Heritage Hall at the Franco Center and at 1:30 p.m. in the gym at the Mt. Ararat Middle School (where the Orion Performing Arts Center is located). Interested members of the public may attend this free event without purchasing a concert ticket, and MSO is offering up to two complimentary tickets to parents accompanying children under 18 to the concert.

Buckfield High School’s Noah Smith will play his clarinet during intermission at Midcoast Symphony Orchestra’s performance in Lewiston on Jan. 18. Robin Smith photo

The Lewiston concert will also feature Buckfield High School student Noah Smith performing on his clarinet during intermission. Smith began his journey studying clarinet at age 9 at a conservatory in France and is continuing his studies in Maine with David Hoagland. He has performed as principal clarinet with the Kennebec Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and will be principal clarinet at All-State Festival in May.

Individual tickets for “Invigorating Water Music” are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with free entrance to any audience member 25 and under. Complete concert and ticket information is available at midcoastsymphony.org or by calling the box office at 481-0790.

The public is invited to read more about all of the compositions that are part of the 2024-25 MSO season on its website.