SALISBURY — David Hagy and the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra will ask “Why not play?” during a family concert at 4 p.m. Sunday. in Varick Auditorium on the Livingstone College campus.
During a program that includes music written by and performed by young people, they suggest that there are many reasons to begin early.
The concert will begin with “Video Games Live,” which includes themes from video games such as Halo, Civilization IV, Advent Rising and Kingdom Hearts.
Next, they will play three pieces written by a young composer. Composers include Dmitri Shostakovich at age 13, Edward Elgar at age 10 and Hagy at age 16.
During the performance of Hagy’s “A Big Brother,” the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Salisbury Super Strings. This group of young musicians range in age from 11 to 17 years old and most are “graduates” of the Symphony’s After-School Strings program.
Four Suzuki selections follow, performed by all of the After-School Strings students, including the Suzuki class of students ages 4 to 7 years old.
A total of 75 young musicians are set to play Sunday.
Dustin Wilkes-Kim returns as the soloist for a performance of Serge Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 1 for violin and orchestra in D major.
Wilkes-Kim first performed with the Salisbury Symphony four years ago at the age of 12 years old.
Now a junior at the UNC School of the Arts, he has raised more than $8,100 giving benefit concerts for worthy causes.
Wilkes-Kim’s performance is sponsored by Gordon and Carolyn Hurley and Patsy Rendleman.
The Rowan County fifth grade honors chorus will serve as the highlight of the seasons’ family concerts.
This year the 150 performers will offer a patriotic salute arranged by nationally-known composer Sally Albrecht, featuring familiar patriotic melodies, kazoos, and choreography.
They will dedicate Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” to the parents and teachers who support young musicians.
The energetic – and energizing – concert ends with a most famous young composer, Mozart, and a movement from his Symphony No. 8 in D Major, composed at the age of 12.
Lois Pruehsner, concert sponsor, has made this tribute to early arts education possible.
The Symphony Society is offering reduced ticket prices to encourage families to attend. Ticket information is available online at salisburysymphony.org or by calling 704-637-4314.
The Symphony’s offer of “Symphony in E-ats major” icludes a 25 percent discount on concert tickets combined with a 15 percent discount on lunch before the concert at Ethos or a meal at DJs that day. Call the Symphony office to order.
Concert tickets may be purchased in advance at any of the Symphony’s ticket outlets — Belk, the Visitors Center, Sidewalk Deli, Crescent Pharmacy, Green Goat Gallery or Silver Showcase.
The box office will open an hour before the performance begins.