Go and do

WHAT: Two orchestral concerts

WHO: Androscoggin Valley Community and Augusta Symphony orchestras, featuring Christian Howes

WHEN & WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6

Hope Baptist Church, 726 Western Ave., Augusta

3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7

Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston

TICKETS: $15/adults, $5/children and seniors; available at the door and online at www.avco-online.org or www.asomaine.org

Upcoming concerts in Lewiston and Augusta promise to deliver a strings lover’s dream.

The Androscoggin Valley Community Orchestra and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra are combining forces to perform dramatic pieces by George Enescu and Edouard Lalo — with a bonus appearance by jazz violin phenomenon Christian Howes.

Howes, classically trained, is best known for his contemporary jazz, but Phil Tedrick, second violinist for ASO, became a loyal fan because of Howes’ versatility and openness to all styles of music.

“He is truly a world-class musician,” said Tedrick. “He’s a wonderful teacher. He’s a nice guy. He loves all styles and plays all styles of music. He doesn’t put up artificial boundaries.”

Howes will perform the dramatic violin solo in Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnole,” as well as his own jazz selections with a backup trio in between the orchestral classical pieces.

Tedrick first met Howes several years ago at a fiddle camp in Tennessee. Struck by Howes’ easy teaching style and obvious love of music, Tedrick returned for a second time to Tennessee and then to a strings workshop in Columbus, Ohio, where Howes now lives.

Tedrick, who also serves on the ASO board of directors, shared his experiences and suggested that the orchestra bring Howes to Maine.

Both orchestras will join their strings sections to open the concert with the dervish Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by Enescu, a Romanian violinist, composer and conductor born in 1881. Enescu often flavored his music with the gypsy and Romanian folk music of his childhood. At one point in the piece, the notes are flying at 176 beats per minute.

“It’s very challenging music,” said Sally Grube of Lewiston, who plays flute with AVCO. “But it’s fun music to play. There’s a lot in that piece that people will be familiar with, but they just may not know it by name.”

Grube said she spends about 45 minutes a night practicing in addition to AVCO’s weekly rehearsals. She noted that all of the orchestra members are committed to their art, and that they’re always looking for more musicians.

Because this concert program calls for an intensely full string sound, the two community orchestras decided to perform together. Although they have been rehearsing separately, it helps that they share the same conductor in Paul Ross, who plays cello for the Portland String Quartet and has conducted several other orchestras.

“The advantage is that we share the same conductor and members of both orchestras often help each other out in various performances,” said Tedrick.

Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnole” is a classic piece in an orchestra’s repertoire. It showcases a violin virtuoso with an ardent and passionate solo. Howes will be in the spotlight for that, Tedrick said. What Howes will play between the two classical pieces is completely up to him, Tedrick added.

So, a little gypsy music, a little tango and a jazz surprise. The concert is expected to last about an hour and a half, and should offer something for every music lover.