OAKHURST — Oakhurst is next on the schedule as the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra’s historic seven-concert tour, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, continues with a performance at 7 p.m. on Saturday Apr. 30.
The 60-member MSO began their concert tour with acclaimed performances in Mariposa and in the Great Lounge of the Majestic Yosemite Hotel on Apr. 23 and 24. All concerts in the tour will feature an evening-length symphonic cycle specially composed to celebrate nature of our area and the National Park Service.
Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher introduced the performance in Yosemite on Sunday, Apr. 24, of the concert-length musical work “Our Nation’s Nature,” composed by MSO Founder/Conductor Les Marsden. The work is an orchestral cycle of four large-scale symphonic works marking four outdoors-related anniversaries 2014-2016.
Several other National Park Service representatives were present at the concert, including Pacific West Regional Director Laura Joss and Pacific West Regional Deputy Director Patricia Neubacher.
“Our Nation’s Nature” was awarded a California Arts Council Creative California Communities Grant to help fund the orchestra’s tour of the Yosemite Gateway counties of Mariposa, Madera, Merced, Tuolumne and Mono, in addition to performances in Yosemite.
The Saturday, Apr. 23 concert in Mariposa was introduced by Commander Matthew Weinburke of the US Public Health Service, who is stationed in Yosemite.
Upcoming tour performances include:
· Saturday, Apr. 30 at 7 p.m.: Sierra Vista Church, Oakhurst
· Saturday, May 7 at 7 p.m.: Merced College Theatre
· Saturday, May 14 at 7 p.m.: Sonora High School Auditorium
· Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m.: Mammoth Lakes Middle School
· Sunday, Aug. 21 at dusk: a special final performance, location TBA
Marsden, named a National Park Service Centennial Ambassador in 2015, conceived the idea of a large-scale musical project uniting the Yosemite Gateway Counties in 2012. The project commemorates history while making history. Never before has a symphony orchestra of the Yosemite region toured the region, performing in large towns and remote locations.
The orchestra was founded by Marsden is 2002 and is comprised of musicians from Mariposa, Merced, Fresno, Madera, Kings, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. MSO musicians include present and past rangers and other NPS personnel, Yosemite Hospitality LLC employees, and retired and active music professionals from throughout the region. Mariposa is noted as the smallest town in America with a symphony orchestra.
The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra is a program of the Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc. Full concert details and tickets are available at the MSO’s website http://tinyurl.com/MariposaSO
Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church is located at 39696 Highway 41, approximately 1/4 mile south of the intersection of Highways 41 and 49. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for students, with discounted pricing for members of the Mariposa County Arts Council.
