West Michigan’s two newest orchestras, the Shoreline Symphony and the Newaygo County Community Orchestra, will present a joint performance on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 3 p.m. at the Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts, 4734 S. Campus Court in Fremont.
Admission to the concert is free of charge.
Highlights of the concert will include Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 and familiar and much-loved works by J.S. Bach, Bela Bartok and Maurice Ravel.
The Shoreline Symphony, established in September 2012, is celebrating its first season of creating quality classical music for Muskegon and Fremont area audiences.
Led by founding director S. Annette Jurcevic, the Shoreline Symphony brings together professional and amateur musicians who play alongside students and faculty from several are colleges and university. It is the only all-volunteer orchestra in the Muskegon area to include woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings.
According to Jurcevic, the idea of creating a new orchestra was generated when she approached Dan Meyers, director of music at Muskegon Community College, in late spring 2012. He contacted Sondra Cross, director of Music and Performing Arts branch of Arts Council of White Lake and also principal clarinetist in the Shoreline Symphony, and Becky Jansma and the four held several planning meetings over the summer.
“I had been looking for a way to continue developing my orchestral conducting career, and they suggested there was a need for a high-quality ensemble to bring together talented local musicians,” Jurcevic said.
The group also contacted Lucy Spinner, director of the Newaygo County Community Orchestra, and encouraged her to combine forces with the Shoreline Symphony for the fall concert.
The Shoreline Symphony rehearses at Muskegon Community College on Monday evenings.
“The support from MCC has been crucial to our success in starting this large artistic project,” Jurcevic said.