The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra will have their first performance of the season on Saturday, Oct. 17. The KSO, directed by Dr. Joel Neves, contains many Michigan Tech students in its membership. The theme of the concert is the 200th anniversary of composer Felix Mendelssohn, whose music to Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at the concert.
Mendelssohn was born in 1809, and became known as a musical prodigy early in life. He wrote his first symphonies at the age of 12, and wrote the Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 1826, when he was only 17 years old (the rest of the music was not written until 1843, 17 years later). Mendelssohn also composed a number of symphonies, concertos, and choral works. An except from one of these choral works, a celebration of the invention of the printing press, would later be adapted as the tune for the popular Christmas hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
The concert is Dr. Neves’ first with the KSO. Dr. Neves has received B.A. and Master’s degrees in orchestral conducting from Brigham Young University, and a doctorate from Arizona State University. He has previously conducted the Orchestra of Southern Utah and the Cedar High Orchestra. In addition to his duties as conductor of the KSO, He is an Assistant Professor of Music at Michigan Tech, and teaches music theory and history.
The KSO concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Tickets cost $15 to the general public and $7 for people age 18 or younger, and can be ordered online through Michigan Tech’s ticket service at www.tickets.mtu.edu. Tickets are free to Michigan Tech students with a Tech ID through the Experience Tech program.