At 4 p.m today, Oct. 22, the lights of Virginia G. Piper Theater will dim slightly, then come back to full energy.
After a few obligatory coughs by audience members, a confident conductor will stride on stage, to enthusiastic applause.
The conductor will nod to the crowd, tap his music stand with his baton, signal the percussion – and the music will begin.
Talented, experienced musicians who live a short drive from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts venue will fill the air with exhilarating music dreamed up centuries ago by Copland, Mozart, Grieg, Elgar and Beethoven.
It will be just like years past.
Only different.
The Scottsdale Philharmonic, which made its debut at Scottsdale Arts a decade ago, has left the building.
So who will be playing the Piper today?
Enter the brand-spanking-new (drum roll, please) … Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra.
“We’re really the hometown orchestra for Scottsdale,” Denise Wilson, orchestra board chair/oboist, said.
“It’s a big responsibility.”
In classical music, timing is essential; ditto in life.
Meribeth Reeves, managing director of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, said her organization is “always happy to support Scottsdale community-based organizations. Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra approached us with a committed board, committed donors and a dedicated musician core.
“Their timing was perfect for scheduling,” Reeves added, “as dates previously held for Scottsdale Philharmonic had just been released.”
The Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra made a perfect pitch, just as “Scottsdale Philharmonic informed us that they had decided not to renew their contract with us for this upcoming season,” Reeves said.
“They said they needed a larger seating capacity for their performances. We wish them nothing but the best.”
In its first public performance, the 65-member Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra will play a concert titled “New Beginnings,” under the baton of guest conductor John Massaro – the principal conductor for the Phoenix Opera.
A Dec. 10 holiday concert by Scottsdale Symphonic will be conducted by Charlotte Ruth Harrison.
Livia Gho is the guest conductor for Feb. 18’s “An Afternoon of Romance,” with Desmond Siu conducting the orchestra’s March 24 “America.”
Wilson emphasized the pure democracy of the new group.
“We’re having our musicians choose our permanent music conductor,” she said.
“We heard the message loud and clear: our musicians want to be involved in bringing great classical music to the community – and not just sitting in orchestra and playing, but by bringing ideas.”
Wilson said most of the Scottsdale Symphonic members are like her: classically trained musicians who got sidetracked into non-music careers.
She is a pilot who owns Jet Agent – a private plane purchasing broker in North Scottsdale – yet never lost her passion for Mozart, Beethoven and company.
Now, even in playing centuries-old music, they are tuned up “to be a part of something new and something growing and something that they have a part in building,” Wilson gushed.
“So there’s this energy – there’s energy in every single one of our rehearsals.”
Wilson said Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra members range in age from 18 to 65, with many sporting professional musician experience on their resumes.
Asked if audience members should have low expectations, considering this is the Scottsdale Symphonic’s debut, the oboist was emphatic – at the risk of tooting her own woodwind.
Those who come to the “New Beginnings” concert “should be expecting a top tier performance,” Wilson said.
“I think anyone that comes to the concert this Sunday is going to be very pleased and surprised at what a great orchestra this is.”
Getting in tune
Tickets start at $15 for today’s 4 p.m. Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra program, which includes Mozart’s “Overture to The Magic Flute” and Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony.”
Tickets: scottsdalesymphonicorchestra.org.
Scottsdale Philharmonic, meanwhile, has moved to the larger La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, where it attracts anywhere from 1,700 to 2,400 people.
The Philharmonic’s fall concert there is scheduled for Nov. 12, with the music of Mozart and Brahms.
Information: scottsdalephilharmonic.com.
Today (Oct. 22): “New Beginnings”
Guest Conductor John Massaro
Featuring music of:
Copland, “Fanfare for the Common Man”; Mozart, “The Magic Flute Overture”; Elgar, “Enigma Variations”; Grieg, “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1”; Beethoven, “Symphony No. 6.”
Dec. 10: “Holiday Cheer!”
Guest Conductor Charlotte Ruth Harrison
“Traditional holiday concert featuring everyone’s holiday favorites, both popular and classical.”
Feb. 18: ” An Afternoon of Romance”
Guest Conductor Livia Gho
Violin soloist – Esther Witherell
Featuring Romantic era composers Rossini, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Brahms.
March 24: “America”
Guest Conductor Desmond Siu
A representation of American composers and those who have written about America – Bernstein, William Grant Still, Florence Price, William White and Dvorak.
Concerts begin at 4 p.m. at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. 2nd St.
Tickets: scottsdalesymphonicorchestra.org.
The players
Flute, Debbie Hutson; piccolo, Nancy Sowers; oboe, Denise Wilson and Maja Dinger; clarinet, Heather Van Beek and Alanna Benoit; bassoon, Gina Stevens, Raimund Fromme and Marty Haub (Contra); trumpet, Leah Hodge Hughes, Teddi English and Robert Turchick.
Horn, Donald Harvey, Gail Rittenhouse, Ted LeSueur and Chuck Stewart; trombone, Leslie Nock, Peter Kyhn and Erik Ketcherside; tuba, Stephen Healy.
Violin: Stephen Helms Tillery, Lauren Evans, Claire Sievers, Joan Heitzinger, Sonja Prychitko, Rubina Sanders, Wei (Wendy) Qin, Allen Lee, Choimei Lao and Sarah Mathias.
2nd violin: Alicia Martin, Anna Clermont, Barbara Moss, Robby Kuhlman, Amy Schroader, Katrina Becker, Hansa Magee, Caryn Josephine Osorio, and Alysia Rojas.
Viola: Carolyn Broe, Alexis Pillow, Christoph Fromme, Petra Fromme, Sarina Mountcastle, Thomas Davey, Rebecca Reining and April Acosta.
Cello: Rob Willis, Renee Rechlin, Diana Yusupov, Katie Carmer, Charlie Bullen, Dennis Yee, Ben Schwart and Max Turchick.
Double bass: Emily Meyer, Erin Lewis, Mary Kelly and Adriana Pretorius.
Timpani, Lonnie Slawson; Percussion, Marty Haub and Kathy Jones.
