Young WSO musicians offer free fall concert

The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s youth orchestra program will present a fall concert at the Seton Hill Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Ave., Greensburg.

Orchestra director Morrie Brand will direct the 3 p.m. Nov. 17 concert, which is free and open to the public.

The WYSO Philharmonia, comprised of mostly middle school musicians, will open the program with farandole from “L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2” by Bizet, followed by the well-known American folk song “Shenandoah.” They will close with a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”

The WYSO Philharmonic, comprised primarily of high school students, will open with two works from the classical period — Mozart’s “Overture to the Marriage of Figaro” and the first movement of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7.” They will follow those pieces with two neo-classical works — the “Second Suite for Small Orchestra” by Igor Stravinsky and “Rondo from Chamber Symphony No. 1” by Brand.

Established in 1981, the youth program is an educational offering of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Academy of Music.

The program also includes the string ensemble (elementary).

Orchestra members range from 7 to 18.