Sunday’s Symphony Home Concert set as Starfish Project Fund-Raiser Posted on April 6th, 2015 by

The Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, Ruth Lin, conductor (photo by Stan Waldhauser)

The Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, Ruth Lin, conductor (photo by Stan Waldhauser)

As a fitting conclusion to their recent 7-day concert tour to the east coast, the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Ruth Lin will present the symphony’s Home Concert in Björling Recital Hall on Sunday, April 12 at 1:30 p.m. That concert, presented free to the public, has been set as a fund-raiser for The Starfish Project. An opportunity to support the work of The Starfish Project will be available at the entrance doors of the lobby.

The Starfish Project is a tax-deductible, non-profit organization that provides school supplies for elementary school children in Namibia and South Africa. In 2012, the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra delivered hundreds of pounds of clothes and school supplies to some of these schools while on its international concert tour to South Africa. It has continued to raise funds to support the project at symphony concerts on campus since that time. The audience for the Home Concert will be invited to give donations to support the work of The Starfish Project. These donations are tax-deductible.

For the Symphony’s concert program, Dr. Lin has selected two works. The concert will open with Alexander Glazunov’s Intermezzo Romantico, Op. 69. The second selection on the concert program is Dmitri Shostakovich’s 4-movement Symphony No. 5 in D. minor, Op. 47. 75 years ago under extreme political pressure in the Soviet Union, Shostakovich wrote his now-legendary Symphony No. 5. It is an iconic work of the 20th Century and stands as an example of the creative genius of Shostakovich, who withdrew his Fourth Symphony from publication to protect his family and friends from the retribution of the Soviet leadership. As described by Conductor Ruth Lin, the symphony is a tribute to the composer’s ability to “create a work of such power and optimism under such harsh and restrictive political conditions.”

The 2012 Gustavus Symphony Members with Starfish Project Donations in Capetown, South Africa

The 2012 Gustavus Symphony Members with Starfish Project Donations in Capetown, South Africa

The 73-member Gustavus Symphony Orchestra has returned from its 7-day east coast concert tour and will present its Home Concert on Sunday, April 12 at 1:30. This performance, a fund-raiser for the Starfish Project where donations are invited for that project, will be presented in the Jussi Bjorling Recital Hall. Admission to this performance is free and the public is cordially invited to attend.

 

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