The Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and Lafayette Master Chorale will perform their collaborative “Bernstein at 100” (Saturday, October 13, 7:30 pm, Long Center for the Performing Arts). This special concert is part of a global commemoration of the centennial birthday of the revered composer, conductor, educator, musician, and humanitarian Leonard Bernstein.The program will feature a broad range of Bernstein’s works from his overwhelmingly popular musical theatre works like West Side Story to the tuneful and tonal Chichester Psalms.
Lafayette Master Chorale Artistic Director Michael Bennett will be conducting the pieces performed by both groups. “It is an honor for me to commemorate Bernstein’s legacy by performing this monumental piece in collaboration with the Lafayette Master Chorale and Lafayette Symphony,” says Bennett.
Lafayette Symphony Music Director and Conductor Nick Palmer will be directing the Orchestra in their numbers. A long-time admirer of Bernstein, he is thrilled to lead this program.”Bernstein was an iconic figure who influenced so many musicians in my generation,” Palmer commented. “He was the first American-born conductor of a major orchestra (the New York Philharmonic) and the genius behind West Side Story, as well as an educator, TV star, and humanitarian. It was his passion for music that inspired me most to turn music making into my career.”
Sponsorship of “Bernstein at 100” is brought to you by the Sozen Family (in memory of Mete Sozen), State Senator Ron Alting and 1st Source Bank. Advance purchase of tickets for this event is strongly encouraged and are available online at lafayettesymphony.org or by calling (765) 742-6463.
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.