Eerie visions of faeries, elves and sleeping giants, wedding dreams and dances, the familiar mixed with the shivery excitement of first discovery — all interrupted by the ghost of Elvis! These engaging family-friendly concerts will be taking place on Friday, February 22rd, 7:30 p.m. in the Port Huron Northern High School Theatre, and Saturday, February 23th, 7:30 p.m. at Imperial Theatre Sarnia under the baton of ISO Music Director, Douglas A. Bianchi. Repertoire has been chosen to provide a quality family experience and still capture a more sophisticated concert audience. Selections will include Rossini’s Semiramide Overture from his last Italian opera (and one of the last operatic works in the Baroque tradition), Mendelssohn’s ageless Shakespeare score A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marquez’s Danzon No. 2, popularized on the hit cable series Mozart In The Jungle, and legendary Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Ciranda das sete notas. At the centre of “Night Dreams and Dances” is modern American composer Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis, a 10-minute work for chamber ensemble and solo bassoon commissioned in 1993 in memory of the King. Featured in this work is the ISO’s principal bassoon Phelan Young, breaking out in a solo role for this monumental work. A Wayne State graduate and MA from University of Michigan, Young has established himself in the Detroit area as an in-demand bassoonist and contrabassoonist. He has played with Detroit, Windsor and Toledo symphonies and is a regular with the Adrian symphony and, of course, the ISO. When not playing the bassoon, he trains in Aikido and enjoys Japanese cooking., Maestro Bianchi looks forward to a diverse programme. “Every season we’re excited about the family-friendly February concert, not least because we like to make room for surprises to toss in with the familiar and heartwarming work our audiences expect,” he says, adding “and this year we get to highlight an orchestra member in a modern work relatable to all music lovers.” Admission to “Night Dreams and Dances” is by subscription or individual tickets, which may be purchased at the Symphony Office, 251 North Vidal Street, Sarnia, Port Huron Music Center, 2700 Pine Grove Ave., Port Huron, MI or by calling (519) 337-7775 or (810) 984-8857. iso@rivernet.net www.theiso.org Friday, February 22rd, 7:30 p.m., Port Huron Northern High School Theatre 1799 Krafft Road, Port Huron, MI adult $29, senior $27, student $7 —Saturday, February 23th, 7:30 p.m., Imperial Theatre Sarnia 168 Christina Street North adult $36, senior $34, student $12 (includes 13% hst & the theatre surcharge) Children 14 and under are admitted free with an adult (theatre surcharge applies at the Imperial)
