The Lafayette Symphony has something for everyone during Brahms 1 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Lafayette (Saturday, May 19, 7:30 pm). From the movie Catch Me If You Can, John Williams’ Joyride evokes the progressive jazz movement of the 60’s and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 brings a universally appealing and powerful close to the program. Performances by the young local Keller Concerto Competition winners will fill the program’s first half.The Allan W. Keller Memorial Award was established in 1973 to inspire and aid talented young people in their musical aspirations. This annual event has allowed young area artists, age 22 and younger, to share their incredible talents and advance their musical studies. Each June, the LSO selects up to three artists based on their performance in the Keller Concerto Competition to be featured soloists with the Orchestra, and to be awarded a scholarship.
The winners for the 2017-18 season are Cameron Gilman (euphonium), Rebecca Salo (French horn), and Eugene Zhang (piano).
Gilman, a junior at McCutcheon High School, will perform Mozart’s lively third movement from his Bassoon Concerto in Bb major. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Gilman is currently finishing his Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scout Troup 372 at United Methodist Church.
Salo, a senior at Purdue University, will play Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1. The concerto is one of the most-demanding solo works for the horn, using the highest and lowest notes in the instrument’s register, often in quick succession. She is majoring in electrical engineering with minors in mathematics and music theory.
Zhang, a 6th grader at West Lafayette Junior High School, will perform Mozart’s spirited Piano Concerto No. 21, Movement 3. He also plays violin and has competed in various competitions across Indiana.
Sponsorship of Brahms 1 comes from Purdue Federal Credit Union and Mary Ellen Totten-Lovell & Family.
Launched in 1951 as a non-profit organization, the LSO is focused on enriching the cultural life of the Greater Lafayette community and 14 surrounding counties through musical excellence and educational experience. About 80 percent of its patrons are from Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County, while the remainder are from the surrounding counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tipton, Warren and White.