Orchestra honors former director at Spring Concert

​The Grove City College Orchestra will hold its annual Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, 2017 in Ketler Auditorium of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus.

The concert features music of European composers and serves as a tribute to College Organist and Professor of Music Dr. Richard Konzen, who is retiring at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. Konzen served as the College’s director of orchestras from 1991 to 2011, when he was succeed by Dr. Jeffrey Tedford ’00, who was a student of Konzen’s. 

Tedford will conduct the orchestra during the spring concert with Konzen serving as guest conductor. 

“I am very excited to welcome Dr. Konzen back to the orchestral stage at Grove City College and share this concert with him,” Tedford said. “Dr. Konzen was one of my mentors while I was a student at GCC and I remember fondly all of the orchestra rehearsals with him and the many conversations we had outside of class. Dr. Konzen always selected great repertoire and I am thrilled to share this music with our audience.” 

The Symphonic Orchestra’s program for the concert includes: Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dance No. 8” Op. 46; Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise;” Strauss Jr.’s “Blue Danube Waltz;” and “Baba Yaga and Great Gate of Kiev” from Mussorgky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” The Chamber Orchestra will perform Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro, Overture” and Dvorak’s “Serenade for Strings” movement 1. Each selection was performed by a College Orchestra during Konzen’s tenure as director. 

The Orchestra and Tedford will also recognize the recipient of the Clifford and Joanne Cox Award for Musical Excellence. This financial award goes to a current freshman, sophomore or junior music major who has shown dedication to the College’s Orchestra. 

The concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m. Parking is free. 

For more information, contact the Music Office at Grove City College at 724-458-2084. For more about   Department of Music, visit www.gcc.edu/music.