Beethoven 250 - A Celebration
The opening of the 2020-21 online season of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony takes place between Saturday, September 26th and Saturday, October 3rd. The entire 8-day run of online events celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. This season opening celebration culminates with a concert on October 3rd at 7:00 pm from the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. All wcfsymphony online content and events are available on-demand through the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/WCFSymphony.) All online events are free to view.
The online event schedule is as follows:
Friday, September 25th at 7:00 p.m. – Live from the Archive with Pauline Barrett Artistic Director & Conductor Jason Weinberger. Jason hosts a special installment of our popular archive series titled Seeing Beethoven, which highlights a collaboration with Waterloo’s Youth Art Team and The New Live for the Beethoven celebration.
Youth Art Team members worked with Jason and Cedar Falls artist Gary Kelley at virtual camps over the summer. The team members, Cederick Matlock, Alexander Fuchtman and Za’Marion Epps, studied Beethoven and his music and created pieces of visual art in response to what they learned. Their artwork has been animated by The New Live to accompany an archive performance of Beethoven by wcfsymphony.
Monday, September 28th – Jason debuts his new podcast Radio Hour, in which he spins favorite recordings and adds personal insight about the selections. This debut episode features a diverse collection of Beethoven interpretations.
Tuesday, September 29th – The latest installment of The Musician Beat, featuring a surprise interview with one of our musicians performing on October 3rd, on Facebook and YouTube.
Friday, October 2nd at 7:00 p.m. – Executive Director Rich Frevert hosts the first installment of The Rich-er Experience from backstage at Gallagher-Bluedorn, as Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony members prepare the music for the October 3rd performance.
Saturday, October 3rd at 6:30 p.m. – Jason presents a live, online pre-concert chat beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook and YouTube. Join via Zoom to learn more and ask questions about the program.
Saturday, October 3rd at 7:00 p.m. – Our Beethoven celebration culminates with a concert performance from the Great Hall stage at Gallagher-Bluedorn. Using Beethoven as a pivot point, the performance offers a unique look at the Viennese tradition of serenade-style music. Jason conducts a spatially-distanced ensemble in selections from Beethoven’s Septet and utilizes the capabilities of our new digital format to discuss and explore related music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Louis Spohr, Franz Berwald, and Franz Schubert. The program includes movements from Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 by Beethoven, Nonet in F Major, Op. 31 by Spohr, Octet in F Major, D. 803 by Schubert, Divertimento in D Major, K. 251 by Mozart and Grand Septet in Bb Major by Berwald.
Commenting on the concert program, Jason says:
“I’m just so excited to get back to making music with my colleagues. And despite not being able to welcome in-person audiences, I love the fact that we are able to use digital means to offer listeners a truly rich and varied experience of Beethoven’s music.”
To adjust to the ever-changing situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, wcfsymphony will continue to announce online events for the remainder of 2020 and early 2021. Event details will be announced by email, at wcfsymphony.org, in the wcfsymphony newsletter, on social media and through traditional media outlets.
The Ready to Play Campaign
wcfsymphony will experience a considerable loss of ticket revenue during the 2020-2021 season. To fund free online events, reach new patrons and keep the symphony healthy until live performances return, the symphony is conducting the special Ready to Play fund raising campaign. Patrons and the general public are being asked to make a special gift of $100 or more (in addition to their normal Annual Fund contributions) in support of the Ready to Play Campaign. Gifts may be made by visiting wcfsymphony.org/support-us, calling 319-273-3373 or mailing a check to wcfsymphony, Gallagher-Bluedorn PAC #17, Cedar Falls, IA 50614.
