Submitted by Olympia Symphony Orchestra
After 20 months away from the live concert stage, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra returns to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on October 10 for an effervescent program designed to lift spirits and welcome the community home. After a “pandemic pause” filled with virtual concerts, creative innovations, and outdoor performances, the musicians are eager to perform on stage, live, for an audience again.
The season opening concert will feature the Olympia Symphony strings, under the baton of guest conductor Roupen Shakarian, an active composer and conductor in the Northwest. Shakarian has served as music director for Philharmonia Northwest, Skagit Symphony, and Cascade Symphony, and has appeared as a guest conductor with many regional orchestras including the Seattle Symphony, Victoria Symphony Pacific Northwest Ballet, Norwest Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Seattle, Bellingham Symphony, Saratoga Orchestra, and Pacific Northwest Opera. He resides at Panorama, in Lacey, and will conduct the Olympia Symphony’s fall series.
The October 10 concert features music by Mozart, Telemann, Elgar, and Grieg. The overarching mood is one of joy, delight, and playfulness. Attendees to the 3:00 pm concert must follow COVID-19 regulations set forth by the Washington Center, which include providing proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test result administered within 72 hours upon entry, and wearing masks covering the nose and mouth at all times inside the venue. The concert will last approximately one hour and forty minutes, with a brief intermission. Tickets range from $6-$65 and are purchased through the WCPA Box Office or website.
The Olympia Symphony emerged as community leaders during the shutdown of live concerts. Awarded a Community Leadership Award from Leadership Thurston County and an Economic Courage Award from the Thurston Economic Development Council, the OSO expanded outdoor performances into neighboring communities of Tenino and Dupont, supported music educators with distance learning in five counties, reached over 40,000 listeners with digital programming, and developed an innovative partnership with the City of Olympia Parks, Arts, and Recreation (“Symphony Strolls”). With support from donors, sponsors, and generous funding from local, state, and federal sources, they remained a vital part of life in the South Sound, and are at the forefront of the return of live entertainment in Thurston County.
The full complement of Olympia Symphony musicians (strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion) will return to the stage on November 14, for a robust program featuring one of Shakarian’s own compositions, “Whimsy.” The two fall concerts and free holiday concert will be followed by the much-anticipated arrival of four internationally renowned conductors competing for the position of Olympia Symphony Orchestra Music Director. Alexandra Arrieche, Kelly Kuo, Zoe Zeniodi, and Adam Johnson will each conduct a concert from February through May 2022, while getting to know the musicians and engaging with community members and local music educators.
Visit the Olympia Symphony website and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) for the latest news about concerts, programs, and opportunities to support their mission to “enrich, educate, and entertain.”
