PORTLAND – The University of Southern Maine/Fleet Youth Ensembles will give their fall instrumental concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in Merrill Auditorium.

A special feature of the concert will be the performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Alexander Nevsky,” by the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra with their guests, the University of Southern Maine Chorale. In addition to the Russian theme, the program will celebrate a 25th birthday and welcome a new conductor.

The Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Lehmann, will be joined by special guests, the chorale and USM student soloist Megan Marino, a mezzo-soprano, conducted by Robert Russell. The two ensembles will perform most of “Alexander Nevsky,” which was the score written for the film of the same name by the great Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein.

Plans are under way to have a public showing of the film in Portland a few days prior to this concert.

The Portland Young People’s String Consort is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Conducted by Deborah Dabczynski of Harrison, the consort’s program begins with Handel’s celebratory Overture from the “Royal Fireworks Music.” Next they will play a traditional Welsh melody, “All Through the Night,” followed by Richard Meyer’s “The Bramble Hill Foxhunt” and Del Borgo’s “Dance Scenario.”

The Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, conducted by Peter Martin, continues with the Russian theme. It will perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Procession of Nobles,” Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music” and Shostakovich’s “Galop.”

The Portland Youth Junior Orchestra has a new conductor, Dan Keller of Waterville. They will perform “Trepak,” a short piece from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the classic “Sinfonia in G Major” by Stamitz, and the challenging “Geometric Dances” by Richard Meyer.

Suggested donation at the door is $6/$3.


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